


Landing in London

by SpencnerTibbsLuvr (KliqzAngel)



Category: James Bond (Craig movies), NCIS
Genre: Angst, Anti-Abby, Anti-Senior, Anti-Ziva, Butchered British-isms, Child talk, M/M, Q is a Paddington, established relationships - Freeform, non-canon compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-28
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-11-05 06:21:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 33,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17913461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KliqzAngel/pseuds/SpencnerTibbsLuvr
Summary: Receiving a letter from his mother who had been dead since he was 8 was upsetting enough. Finding out that neither she nor Senior were really his parents was worse. Feeling like he had nowhere else to turn, Tony fled to London where he hoped his on again off again partner would take him and his son in and help Tony to find the brother that had been stolen from him.





	1. The Letter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DarkJediQueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkJediQueen/gifts).



> This story was written for the Every Fandom Big Bang. The prologue was originally written a couple years back, and was one of my EAD offerings. Since I originally thought of the idea, the plot has changed and chapters have been rewritten many times. Then sometime last summer I heard the song Landing in London by 3 Doors Down and I got the idea that became the final version of this story. The story was also aided by the song Brother by Needtobreathe Featuring Gavin DeGraw.
> 
> I am not British, and tried not to make the British bits of this story completely American. I also took some liberties with how things happen in real life to fit this story. If something is not accurate, consider it a twist of the world I have created. Finally, TJ is the way I want him to be and he talks the way I want him to speak. I have zero cares if any of this doesn't match real life. 
> 
> I want to thank the Mods at EFBB for the work they put into the first Bang. I also want to thank DarkJediQueen for the awesome banner.

Banner by DarkJediQueen

 

# Prologue: The Letter

 

_My Dearest Son,_

_I am so sorry for what I have done. I pray that someday you can forgive me for the actions of a lonely desperate woman. In my heart, though, I know if I were in your shoes no such forgiveness would be granted. My only excuse is that before you were even mine I loved you beyond all reason. I only wish that I had shown you the level of affection that you deserved. Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?_

_Your birth name is Daniel, and you have an older brother James Edward who adores you. The look on his face when he discovered that he would not be coming to America will haunt me to my upcoming grave. I was there the day that you were born, and I saw the excitement on his face when he heard that you were partly his. In fact, it was he that named you. I watched as he dotted on you and made you the center of his world._

_I know that I should have taken him in too or left you behind. The man you call father, Anthony DiNozzo, wanted nothing of a child born of another man whose personality was already set, though. That should have set off the warning bells in my head, but I wanted you too much to listen to reason. Without Anthony, I would not have been able to get you, and it never occurred to me that possibly leaving you in another’s care with your flesh and blood sibling might be for the best._

_James’ mother, your true mother, Monique was my best friend. She was so excited about your arrival. Her death devastated me, and as much as I wanted you, I wanted a piece of her with me for the rest of my life, also. I am ashamed to say that no one else’s welfare came to my mind._

_When your parents died, James clung to you endlessly for days. When he found out that Anthony and I were going to America, he lifted his little chin and said that things would work out. When he found out that he wasn’t coming, he cried and begged and pleaded. The sound of his cries haunts my dreams._

_I won’t be alive on the day that you receive this letter. I am too cowardly for that and have ensured I will be long gone before you hear the truth. The doctors have not given me much longer to live, and I no longer have the will to continue. My greatest sin will be having drug you away from someone who worshipped you, only to give up when you need me the most. I simply have no will to remain with the monster who calls himself your father._

_I regret the life that I have brought you into. I regret many things. Please know always that my only desire was to love you, and I have done so and will do so until my last dying breath and beyond. I wish I had the fire and the passion that I see in your eyes. You remind me so of your mother, which is fitting because I always believed your brother to be a miniature version of your father Andrew._

_Along with this letter, the solicitor will also be paperwork on your dual citizenship. It is something I have no doubt that Anthony will never mention to you, and I have thus far been too cowardly to bring up. Unfortunately, by the time you receive this, any information I had on your brother will be long since made obsolete. Take this letter to my brother George. He will know what to do next if you do not have the resources yourself._

_I pray that you survive long enough to get this. I have done my best to ensure that the monster Anthony DiNozzo knows nothing about this communication or the money that comes with it. The only good thing I might have done in this whole situation may be to make sure that, that bastard never knows of any of the money I received from your mother._

_I can only hope that you do not fall in footsteps of that monster I married, but instead, you become your own man. Live, love, and more than anything seek out the man that I tore you from. I know in my heart that he will continue to love you long beyond my death._

_Please, my son, I pray that someday you will find a place in your heart to forgive me for the things that I did. Think kindly of me if you can, and if not, remember that while I might have been selfish I only wished to love you. That at least I have done. For the time that I was able to call you mine, I loved you as much as I was able. I just wish I had the strength to love you as much as you deserved._

_I will love you always._

_Your Mother in my heart,_

_Claire Paddington-DiNozzo_

Taking a deep breath, Tony put the letter back into his computer bag, along with the letter from his Uncle Clive’s estate executor. He had no idea what to think of the woman that he’d always called mother. While she’d spent a great majority of his time with her inebriated, she at least always made him feel loved. Reading the letter had just been another blow in a long line of devastation at the hands of the people who’d called themselves his parents.

Hearing his flight called, Tony stood and flung two bags over his shoulder. Looking down, he smiled at the blond headed, blue-eyed boy who was the joy of his life.

“Papà is it time to get on the plane and go across the water?”

Smiling softly, he nodded and took the child’s hand.  “Yes, TJ. It’s time to go and find your Uncle James and papa’s friend Al and leave this country behind.”

Determined the two walked toward the gate. Tony felt no doubt at all about abandoning all that lay in tatters behind him. They’d made their beds. He no longer cared enough to even be upset. It simply was what it was.

The last legal action he’d done before leaving the country was to change his name and leave Anthony DiNozzo Jr. behind. Abby and Ziva could just have the old and washed up conman if they wanted him so badly. From now on he was Anthony Daniel Bond, and his son Tristan James Bond. Never would that disgrace of a man have influence over his life again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I write fanfiction for fun. It's a hobby and a stress relief. I refuse to stress over my writing. What you see is what you get. Errors, plot holes, and all. Thank you for reading my story!


	2. Final Port in a Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and TJ arrive in London and head to Alec's apartment in search of a safe haven.

Banner by DarkJediQueen

 

 

# Chapter One: Final Port in a Storm

 

When TJ finally fell to sleep, Tony released a deep shuddering breath as he tucked the blanket around his son and turned off the light above him. He’d picked an overnight flight so that his son at least could sleep and start the day fresh when they reached London. Ideally, he would also be sleeping, or at least ready to fall asleep, but with all of the emotional turmoil going on inside of him, Tony simply didn’t see it happening. Fortunately, if NCIS had taught him anything it was how to exist on little to no sleep.

After turning off the light above himself as well, Tony reached over TJ and opened the window shade so that he could look outside. Then, turning his Thumbs Up list on his Pandora which he had downloaded to his phone on, Tony put in his headphones and just let his mind free. He only hoped that he could hold in some of the overwhelming emotion until he reached his destination. Once free of the rigid constraints he’d been putting on it so as not to upset TJ, Tony’s mind seemed to fly through the swirl of emotions inside of him like a tornado in a storm.

The mother that he’d always loved and adored wasn’t actually his mother. Con. The abusive asshole conman father wasn’t actually his father either, though. Definite positive. The friends and pseudo-family Tony created for himself at NCIS seemed to have taken the side of the asshole father and ignored all the hints of abuse Tony dropped over the years. Absolutely con. However, it seemed, if Claire’s letter was correct that Tony had actual blood family out there who wanted him. Huge positive. While Abby, Ziva, and McGee adored Senior and fell for his charm and schmooze, Gibbs hated the man and fully supported Tony’s exit. Another positive. Unfortunately, that meant leaving Gibbs behind, and with the way things were currently, Tony wasn’t sure when, if ever, he’d see the man behind. It wasn’t as if Gibbs was a great communicator that he could have long distance phone conversations with or trade emails with. Heartbreaking con. London meant Alexander or whatever his name actually was. The positive that might make everything else worth it.

Tony met Alex years back on one of his island vacations where he sunned himself on gorgeous white beaches, surrounded by beautiful bodies. Tony’s arm was still in a sling from his encounter with Ziva in Israel after Rivkin’s death, and the blond Brit’s foot was in a walking boot from what he’d called a climbing accident. Alex was shorter than Tony and slightly older with scars on one side of his face that indicated he’d survived a fire or explosion at some point. However, it was the man’s sarcastic wit and the hint that something dark was hidden behind the sparkle of laughter in his eyes that drew him in. It was the whisper of something that Tony saw in his own eyes when he looked in the mirror that pulled him toward the man. It was rare that he met someone that understood his complicated psyche let alone shared a similar one.

By the time Alexander, “call me Alex”, introduced himself, Tony knew that whatever name came out of his lips would be a lie.

“So, that’s what you’re gonna go with, huh?” Tony quipped with a grin and a look of understanding. When the man went along with it instead of making protestations of truthfulness, Tony knew not only was he right but that the other man had recognized their similarities himself.

“Well, it’s as good a name as any,” Alex quipped, and Tony gave a snort of laughter in return before ramping up his flirting. The two spent days in each other’s company. Sometimes just the two of them and sometimes in bars or on beaches surrounded by people. They’d made an agreement to no personal details and hadn’t even exchanged last names. It had been meant to be nothing more than an island vacation affair, but by the end, Tony knew that it would be harder than usual to shake loose of his attraction to Alex.

The exchange of email addresses had been an impulse led by Tony, and as he’d watched the island growing smaller as his plane flew back to the states, Tony had really believed he’d never see Alex again. However, less than 9 months later, Senior had popped back into Tony’s life, and the NCIS agent had felt the need to escape and get himself back together. The decision to go see Alex had been impulsive, but fortunately, the older man was enthusiastic about the idea, and Tony found himself in the first flight to London.

That trip wasn’t really dissimilar to this one, in that Tony was escaping his life to find a safe haven in Alex. That time, though, the Senior Field Agent still had a job, still had an identity that he was semi-comfortable with and didn’t have a child. Or, more accurately, he didn’t know he had a child. There had been no plans to do anything but hide out in Alex’s apartment, preferably naked as much as possible. That time when he left, the parting had been incredibly painful. Tony had come to realize that this was a man he could not only be everything that was actually Tony DiNozzo with but whom he could see spending the rest of his life next to. Unfortunately, they both had lives they couldn’t leave behind, and agreed that there would be no more visits unless it was forever.

While they still kept in touch by email on occasion, it was mostly funny bits and all hints of anything personal was left to the wayside. Despite this, Tony would have let him know, but he was trying to keep to a minimum the information the team beyond Gibbs would be able to find to locate him. Gibbs and Vance were the only ones who knew he’d quit with both men agreeing to keep things quiet. As far as the rest of the team knew Tony was off on an assignment. Gibbs had letters for Jimmy and Ducky. The others were getting nothing.

Tony gave Gibbs cash so that the older man could buy their tickets on his credit card. His cellphone, laptop, and any other traceable electronic were left behind in the townhome Tony and TJ lived in. Cash was being used when it could be, and when he couldn’t, Tony had traveler's checks and prepaid credit cards he could use. Tony’s personal lawyer was the only other person who knew what was going on and had been warned to keep an eye out for people snooping into Tony’s personal financial information. The majority of Tony’s finances were transferred to one of the law firm’s accounts and would then be transferred back once he settled. It was all a little more cloak and dagger than Tony wanted with a 2 almost 3 yr. old in tow. The reality was though that Abby lone was unpredictable on the best of days, and with Ziva’s contacts, Tony wasn’t taking any chances with either himself or his son when he had no idea how they’d react to the news Tony left for good. There would however be consequences if they invaded Tony’s privacy. He just wasn’t going to play with them anymore.

Pushing aside the unpleasant thoughts of the irritating threesome, Tony decided to shut his eyes and try and get some rest. He still had more hours left in his journey than he wanted to spend fretting. So, taking a few deep calming breaths, he closed his eyes and willed himself to fall asleep hoping by the time he awoke he’d be in London.

 

~*~~*~ ~*~~*~ ~*~~*~

 

By the time Tony got to Alex’s building with TJ on his hip, and baggage in tow, he was full of nervous exhaustion. Fortunately, the building came with a doorman, who helped Tony get himself, his son, and the luggage filled with the things he hadn’t wanted to leave behind into the building. Being as they weren’t that far past Christmas, his son had quite a few new toys that he hadn’t wanted to leave behind.

When the face of the concierge at the desk in the lobby was familiar, Tony almost wept. The building that Alex lived in was… special. While he knew he could get in if it was someone he wasn’t familiar with, he found the sight of a friendly face comforting. Tony had honestly never heard of anything like it and was surprised to find out after some very discreet inquiries that such a place did exist in DC you just had to be the right person who knew the right person and made a boatload of cash with the right security clearance.

The building itself was a historic 6 story building with 10 apartments and a penthouse. Everything was anonymous. Utilities and all extra expenses were paid for by the owner so there was nothing to pinpoint the apartment resident to the location. There were always two people on duty at the door with one standing outside and one inside the lobby. While the person at the building entrance could often be found helping residents doing things like hailing cabs, getting large loads to their apartments, etc. the guard in the lobby absolutely never left his post, unless relieved by the doorman. No one used names. The guards all had nicknames. Most of them were given by the residents. Tony wasn’t familiar with the doorman, but he’d nicknamed the lobby guard Woj the last time he was there because he physically reminded him of Stan Wojciehowicz from Barney Miller. Make no mistake though, neither man was going to be confused with a bumbling sitcom cop or an elderly door greeter that you’d find at a fancy hotel or Walmart.

These men were, at least to Tony, very obviously retired military, probably special forces, or something of that nature. While they were never anything but friendly, there was no mistaking the fact that they were considered the first line of defense for the building’s residents. Tony guessed that the guards all took their jobs very seriously. The lobby was elegant but sparse. There was no mail delivery. Residents were expected to have mail delivered elsewhere, and absolutely no one exchanged their real names. Everything was done by preset codes based on your apartment location, or nicknames assigned to the very rare visitor.

When Tony was checking into whether buildings like this existed in DC and how they worked, it was explained that visitors were frowned upon unless they met some very stringent requirements. After he explained that he and Alex hadn’t exchanged real names or even fake last names, he was assured that while Alex may not have known who he was, whoever owned the building certainly did. Otherwise, he never would have been granted access.

Access meant a key.

A key that he had and neither the doorman or lobby guard had. There was no losing your key in this building and having the friendly doorman help you into your apartment. If you lost your key you were screwed, and the hoops you had to jump through to get a new one were many. It was why Tony’s key was always on a strap of leather that he wore around his neck. Residency was given by invitation only. You would never find these apartments listed on ReMax.com or in your local realtor’s listings.

Tony’s contact advised that resident codenames varied by the building and the owner’s preferences. This building used British peerage titles. Left side apartments were male titles. Right side apartments were female titles. No one gave a shit if the owner was male or female unless you were offered the top floor. The penthouse apartment was the only one that changed depending on the sexual identity and number of owners. Since the building had six floors, the first-floor residents were identified by Lord and Lady, the second floor was Baron and Baroness, the third floor was Viscount and Viscountess, the fourth floor was Earl and Countess, the fifth floor was Marquess and Marchioness, and the penthouse was identified as Duke because Alex was the only resident.

To be honest, Tony found the whole thing equally cool and nerve-wracking. It was, however, the perfect place for both himself and his son. There was absolutely no way that anyone anywhere was going to find him unless he wanted to be found. Since no one exchanged names if someone came asking for Anthony DiNozzo both the doorman and lobby guard could honestly say they’d never heard the name. When he asked about being showed a picture of him, he was assured that in a building like that the security staff was paid very well to say that they’d never seen that person before.

“Mr. OSU!” Woj greeted happily from his seat behind the desk. Tony knew that despite the friendly smile and greeting that the guard was most likely already in contact with Alex about their entry. This was after checking to make sure Tony and TJ were both still on the entry listing stored in the building’s database that had no connection to the world beyond the building and no ability to be accessed by a computer that had access to the outside world. While certainly, each apartment had all the modern comforts like cable or satellite, internet, Wi-Fi, etc. They each also had a monitor near the front door that was hardwired into the building’s security system.

“Woj,” Tony greeted with a tired grin. “I’ve never been so happy to see your baby face in my life.” The laugh he got in return for his quip felt honest, and Tony was relieved for it. His instincts told him that if Alex didn’t want to see him that the greeting might still have been polite, it wouldn’t have been nearly as friendly. “Is the Duke in residence this morning? He’s not expecting me.”

Because Tony had a key to the elevator that would unlock the penthouse residence, he knew that he could get in as long as Alex hadn’t removed his access approval. However, he knew that this wasn’t the older man’s only residence in London. The one and only time he’d been to visit, Alex admitted that he had another apartment that was much smaller, cheaper, and resembled something like a crash pad that he used when he needed to be at work at a moment’s notice. It was also where he took his occasional hook up that didn’t want to go back to their place as a random one-night stand would absolutely not be allowed entrance into the building.

“He is Mr. OSU,” Woj assured with a nod. “I informed him of you and Wee OSU’s arrival. He’s waiting for you upstairs. McFly, help Mr. OSU and Wee OSU upstairs, please.”

While Tony was never one prone to easily succumbing to his emotions, he knew when he found himself fighting to stay calm and collected on the short elevator right up to the penthouse that he’d reached his emotional limit. It felt like everything stable in his life had crumbled out from underneath his feet and Alex’s acceptance of Tony’s reappearance with a not yet 3 yr. old boy in tow was the last solid patch of soil beneath his shoes. Fortunately, when the elevator doors opened, it was almost immediately obvious that his worry was for naught. There right in front stood an obviously worried Alex looking as gorgeous as ever in his old worn jeans and sleep-mussed hair.

“Fu…dge, Alex,” Tony breathed in a half sigh and half moan of relief. He was barely off the elevator before he and a mostly asleep TJ both wrapped up in the blond’s arms. “I’m sorry I didn’t warn you. I didn’t want to risk it. I’m probably being paranoid, but I just… I didn’t know where else to go… hell, I didn’t want to go anywhere else… I…” Tony trailed off and recognizing his tired ramble for what it was and turned his face toward the older man’s neck taking in a deep breath of his scent.

“Alex.”

“Zaichonok,” Alex returned quietly as the doorman set about unloading the luggage and bags from the elevator before leaving them to their reunion.

“I’m not a bunny,” Tony murmured sleepily before lifting his head and pulling back slightly when he felt TJ squirm. “You speak Russian.”

Alex nodded with a half smirk that tried to hide a brief flare of annoyance. Tony wasn’t sure if it was at Tony for knowing it was Russian or at Alex himself for letting it slip. Tony guessed the latter, but he was too tired and wrung out for once to investigate further. “As do you,” Alex returned before he lifted a hand to brush the back of a finger over TJ’s cheek. “I saw the picture you sent, but he looks so much like you, AJ. He’s a beautiful child. Come inside. You can put him down in the guest room. I don’t know if you remember that the flat has a build in intercom system that we can turn on to listen for him. You look worn out yourself. Do you want to sleep first or talk?”

If you have coffee, I’d like to talk first,” Tony admitted as he made his way inside ignoring most of the baggage for the moment. Picking up his son’s backpack with the things he absolutely needed like Mr. Potamus to sleep, Tony turned and headed toward the open doorway. While the majority of the floor was Alex’s apartment, there was a small hallway for the elevator. Tony knew from his previous visit that at one time there had been two apartments on the floor, but when it was last renovated before Alex moved by the current owner in the top floor was made one big residence with exception of the elevator. Even the stairway to the rooftop patio was inside the apartment as it was for use exclusively by the penthouse owner.

“Alex, can you bring that computer bag? I didn’t bring any electronics, but it has some important paperwork that I don’t want to be left out here.”

“Of course, Sweetheart,” Alex agreed as he picked up the bag and another next to it since he had a spare hand.

Slowly, Tony made his way through the spacious penthouse, and when he reached the furthest of the two guest rooms looked to the bag Alex had brought. “Good choice. That’s TJ’s things. So, it can go in here.”

“Score one for the home team, Luv!” Alex cheered softly as he placed the bag inside the doorway then offered a tender smile. “Get the wee one settled, and I’ll make you some coffee. You completely ruined it for me after your last visit. I even have cream and some hazelnut syrup to flavor it with.”

“You?” Tony snarked back softly as he lay TJ down and pulled his blanket out of his backpack. “Mr. black coffee is the only coffee has cream and flavored syrups?” Alex just smiled and gave a small shrug.

“They remind me of you, Luv. I’ll be in the kitchen making us a pot and something to eat. I know how you dislike eating when you fly.”

“God, I’ve missed you,” Tony admitted back as he sat on the bed and rubbed TJ’s back when the little boy opened his eyes to look at him. “Food will be marvelous. He’ll fall asleep quickly. So, I shouldn’t be long.”

With a nod, Alex left the room, and Tony turned his attention to putting his son back to sleep with a backrub and a song. There were no childish lullabies for his son. He hadn’t really known and when the boy came into his life, and as a result, sang him old Sinatra and other Rat Pack songs. He was halfway through Fly me to the Moon when the little boy finally snuffled and rolled over burying his face in his hippo. Finishing the song to be safe, Tony gave the offending stuffed animal a glare. He hadn’t decided how he was going to explain to his son that he’d most likely never see any of his Auntie Abby or any of his various Uncles or stand in Grandfather again. It was a subject that he refused to contemplate because he was terribly afraid that the discussion was going to come with a lot of tears.

Standing with a yawn, Tony made his way from the room, pausing to turn on the intercom, only to see Alex had done it for him. After a detour to the bathroom to wash off his face, the tired father headed to the kitchen following the scent of coffee, eggs, and sausage. Hooking his foot around the leg of one of the nearby stools, Tony brought it closer to him and sat down with his elbows resting on the granite countertop while he studied Alex.

Tony had never been attracted to men who would be labeled pretty or beautiful, at least not enough to be drawn into a relationship with them. Alex certainly was not either of those descriptors. Handsome, sexy, even gorgeous, were the words Tony used when they met, and still used to describe the man who had stolen his heart. He knew that other people wouldn’t see it. All they’d see were the weathered burn scars on the man’s face, and he’d be written off. To Tony though they only made him that much more attractive, because they spoke of a man who fought when it hurt and when it was hard. The scars told him a story that words couldn’t fully express. It was a story that Tony loved to look at.

Tony had very definite needs and wants in his partners. For women, they had to be able to fight for themselves, be willing to stand up to anyone who crossed their path. Physically, he preferred them dark haired with a beautiful smile. He needed a good sense of humor, intelligence made him hard, and since he loved a wide variety of sports, an athletic nature was preferred.

He generally was pulled toward someone slightly younger than himself, but definitely not the extremes that his coworkers assumed. 5 to 7 years was his max. Feisty was probably a common term for his female partners. It was why he’d been distracted by Ziva a time or two. The caveat though was that they had to be able to turn that off and recognize when the two of them were a team. He wasn’t willing to put himself into a relationship with anyone, man or woman, that he had to constantly fight for his footing with. Ziva didn’t know how to do that.

Tony wasn’t blind. He knew whose primary fault that was. He knew the scars that a parent could leave on their child’s mind. For Tony, though, that didn’t forgive the manipulative bitch that the Mossad agent was. People grew up. They explored the world and were changed by those experiences.

Smart people looked at themselves and made the changes that were necessary to become the type of person they wanted to be. Either Ziva had never done that, or she was just fine being a miserable, scheming, bitch who always looks out for herself first and was willing to cause any destruction she needed to as long as she succeeded. It was why despite Ziva’s wishes, and her many attempts, Tony would never give in to her advances. Especially not once TJ came into his life. Tony couldn’t imagine letting someone like Ziva influence a small child. It sounded like a nightmare that Tony had already lived through.

With men, he liked someone older than himself and was willing to consider a much bigger age difference. At one point early in their working relationship, Tony had a thing for Gibbs, but it didn’t take long to realize that he too would not make a good partner much for the same reasons Ziva wouldn’t. There was no off switch with Gibbs that the younger man had ever found, and there certainly was no sense of equality that was necessary for any healthy relationship.

Tony liked men slightly shorter than himself. Intelligence and a good sense of humor were common themes shared with really anyone he found himself attracted to. He liked the Alpha personality. While he could pull it off himself even comfortably and even easily given his flexible personality if needed, he liked that feeling of natural power in his male partners that drew people to them to be led.

Physically he liked his male partners to be his height or slightly shorter, blue or green eyes, there wasn’t really any particular hair color preference, but again he liked someone athletic enough they’d enjoy sports with him both watching and participating. Alex was… Well, to be honest, Alex was just nearly perfect.

At 5’10” he was slightly shorter than Tony, who was 6’2”. He was in incredible shape, and his easy laugh never failed to make Tony smile. However, Tony also saw a flash of darkness or intensity cross the older man’s face that the NCIS agent recognized and found himself incredibly attracted to. Whatever Alex did, Tony could only imagine that he was one of the best. He couldn’t imagine the other man being just a guy at whatever he did. Especially since Tony was pretty sure that whatever he did involve undercover work and violence. There was an air of leashed, deadly power about the man that made Tony think of one of the big cats stalking their prey. It was an enticing aphrodisiac that worked better than any little blue pill could.

When Alex turned and flashed him a crooked smile, Tony almost melted into the stool and hid his grin in the coffee cup that Alex left for him on the island. When the unmistakable taste of hazelnut hit his tongue, Tony couldn’t hold back a moan of pleasure. “You not only remembered, but you had some syrup on hand? I remember now why I love you.”

Alex laughed happily before plating their breakfasts and carrying them over to the island where Tony was sitting perching next to him. “I left some for the little one once he wakes up. We’ll just need to heat it up and cook his eggs.”

Tony smiled and leaning over stole a quick kiss. “You’re amazing. I have a ton of things I need to tell you and I’ll probably meltdown, but… seriously, you’re amazing. I knew I missed you, but when I saw you there in the doorway, I didn’t realize how much till that second. I want you to know… no matter why it happened, I’m here for good. If you still want it, I mean.”

“I want,” Alex said softly, and it was his turn to lean over to steal a kiss before they tucked into their meal shifting the conversation to safer things like sports and movies. After they were done eating, Tony insisted on cleaning up, given Alex had cooked. While he was doing that, the older man said he’d go check on TJ and get Tony’s things settled in the master suite. When they were done, they’d meet in the living room to talk.

After the kitchen was clean and freshening up their coffee cups, Tony noted that Alex’s cup had the same hazelnut syrup, which made him smile. After picking up his Computer-less computer bag, Tony headed to the living room tossing his bag onto the couch, leaving the cups on the coffee table in front of it, and moved to stand at the big windows to take in the sights. The apartment, or flat as Alex would say, was basically a U shape with the living area on the left side of the elevator and the bedrooms on the right side. The buildings immediately around them were smaller two- or three-story buildings, so there were nice views from all of the windows. Tony was enjoying doing some people watching until he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist and a chin rest on his shoulder.

“TJ was sitting in bed coloring. I told him to come out of he got hungry. I hope that is acceptable.” Alex advised kissing the side of Tony’s neck. “I love seeing you here, AJ. Whatever the reason, I am glad that you’re finally here. Feels like it’s been a bloody long wait, but it’s worth it to have you and the little one in the end. We’ll have to redecorate his room and anything else you wish. I didn’t do much after moving in. I’m not too picky, and I’m not really here constant enough to deal with the fuss.”

“I love finally being here,” Tony admitted turning in Alex’s arms to look at his smiling partner. “I’ll be honest. The reason is… Fuck, I don’t know what to think about it. Maybe we should sit and talk? I don’t know how much longer I can keep it in.”

Instead of replying, Alex pressed another kiss to Tony’s lips before leading him over to the couch. Tony sank down into the soft brown leather with a shaky sigh and turned so that he could look at the man who’d drawn him to England. Despite the letter, Tony wasn’t sure that he could have come if he didn’t have a safe haven in Alex to go to.

“I guess I will start with my real name,” Tony said as he twined his fingers with Alex’s. “AJ stands for Anthony Junior, but honestly I hate both in their full forms. I normally go by Tony, but in college, they called me AJ. My father calls me Junior, and a very small number of people are allowed to call me Anthony.”

Tony frowned for a moment as a bit of sadness overcame him as he thought of Ducky and hoped that there would be a way to reconnect with the older man. “I can honestly say I hate my father. I don’t even think there’s some secret part of me that loves him because he’s my father. I wish that we could have had a different relationship, but we don’t. I don’t see longing and wishing as being the same thing. Senior made sure we couldn’t have a close relationship with how he treated me, and his recent reappearances in my life have only confirmed that it’s best he stays away from me and especially TJ.

“So, AJ if you want to continue that, or Tony is what I prefer being called. Never Junior, and I’d prefer not Anthony unless you’re going to become a quirky elderly ME who loves his bow ties and talks to dead people. Up until yesterday, I worked for NCIS, which is a federal intelligence and investigation agency that serves the Navy and Marine personnel and their families. I don’t know what I’m going to do here, but I was a cop before I worked at NCIS. I would like to keep doing something along the lines of what I’ve been doing if I can. My mo… my mothers are actually from England and I have family here although I’ve never met them. That’s… it’s complicated and it the other part of why I’m here.”

“Well, being an ME has never been a life plan,” Alex admitted with a grin. “So, I’ll stick with AJ or Tony. My real name is Alec Trevelyan. I was born in Russia, but my parents were killed. After that, I was adopted by a couple and brought here. I can’t tell you where I work just yet, and definitely can’t tell the little one. As soon as I am able though I will tell you as much as I can. We’ll have to think up something to tell TJ though. I can handle complicated. Tell me what’s going on, Luv.”

Instead of answering, Tony took a deep breath and pulling his computer bag into his lap, pulled out the letters handing them to Alex… Alec is mind corrected. He was glad the real name was so close because it should be a fairly easy mental shift to make. Pulling out two envelopes, Tony handed them both to his partner. “Read the legal one first,” Tony instructed before handing the letters off and picking up his coffee cup to give his hands something to do. By now he knew both letters by heart and could mentally recite them in his head as the other man read. Nervously, he turned his attention to the television that had one of the British sports channels on giving a rundown of the day’s sporting news. Focusing on the TV, he tried to ignore the letter reading and the upheaval they’d made of Tony’s life.

 

~*~~*~ ~*~~*~ ~*~~*~

 

Alec noted AJ – or Tony, he’d have to get used to calling his love his preferred name – had turned his attention to the telly. Quietly, Alec handed Tony the remote from where it was lying next to Alec before he turned his attention to the letters. He first noticed the differences in the letters. One was obviously stationary of a legal firm named Sheffield, Morgan, and Sager, while the other was on a more feminine stationary with only the name Anthony written on the front in an elegant script that screamed woman. Setting the second letter aside for the moment, Alec opened the first to see what had his love so upset.

 

_Dear Mr. Anthony D. DiNozzo, Jr._

_My name is Charles Sheffield, and I was your Uncle Clive M. Paddington, Lord of Southcott’s solicitor while he was alive. I am currently serving as the executor of his estate and I am writing to you as per his final wishes. I would like to express my sympathy for your loss before I get into the reason for this letter. Your Uncle was a good man whom I was honored to not only serve but call a friend. His death is a loss to not just me and your family, but Britain as a whole._

_Your uncle held in his possession a letter from your mother that was given to him upon her death, as well as proof of your dual citizenship. It was her wish that he should hold this letter and paperwork until his death, and at that time it should be delivered to you. With your uncle’s passing, her letter and the legal documents are now yours. There is also a second trust that he held for you. which had been passed along from her estate in addition to the smaller one you received previously. The courier from our law firm that will be delivering the letters will also have in his possession the legal citizenship paperwork._

_There is some extra paperwork that needs to be signed for the second trust. Your Uncle also wrote you a letter of his own, which I hold in my possession. He was embarrassed at how he’d handled things after her death and was not sure you would welcome contact from him upon his death. He was aware of what you had made of your life and was quite proud of the man you became. My number is at the bottom of this letter. Please call me at your earliest convenience to advise if you wish to get your Uncle’s letter and how you would like to deal with the trust paperwork. If you cannot come to London, I can have the information sent to any number of law offices there in the States to be reviewed with you. </em>_

_Again, you have my deepest sympathies for your loss, and I look forward to hearing from you._

_Charles V. Sheffield_

Alec had forced himself to read the entire letter, but once done, he went back to the top again. He was finding it hard to believe whom Tony’s Uncle was. “You are related to Lord Clive Paddington?” Alec asked letting the letter rest on his lap as Tony’s eyes turned his direction.

“Yes, my mother was the only daughter,” Tony explained turning his attention away from the soccer match, or football game as Alec would say. “Supposedly mother and Clive were very close until she married Senior. She told me once that her family and Clive especially didn’t approve of the marriage. I’ve never understood then if that was the case, why he helped me out in college, but I’m glad he did. I wouldn’t have been able to go that first year while I was fighting Senior for my trust fund if Uncle Clive hadn’t loaned me the money. I believe she has two other brothers who were alive last I heard, but I’ve never met any of them. For that matter, I never even met Clive. All of our dealings were over the phone.”

“Are you going to contact them now that you’re here?” Alec asked trying to decide how to reconcile the fact that he knew more about his lover’s family than Tony did. He also wasn’t sure how the new knowledge of who Tony was related to would change all the other secrets Alec was keeping and wanted to share with his luv.

“Well, I’m not sure,” Tony began sleepily, and Alec noticed that his partner looked to be nearly asleep. “You need to read my mo… Claire’s letter before we talk ‘bout that.”

Alec nodded and taking a deep breath, put the legal letter back in its envelope, set it aside and dove into the other letter. He had barely gotten into the second paragraph when his brain nearly exploded, and he wondered if he was being set up. He felt a brief flare of anger at the thought and lifted his head to demand answers from AJ, only to find his partner sleeping. With the sleep, the obvious worry and fear were more easily read on the other man’s face. Setting aside the paper for a moment before finishing it, Alec stood and paced to the liquor cart where he poured himself a healthy splash of Vodka swallowing it and pouring himself another before moving to the windows.

He needed to calm down and think logically. He knew that his greatest weakness was his habit of letting his temper, which was quick to flare, get the best of him. In this situation, he couldn’t let that happen. As much as it looked like some kind of elaborate set up at the moment, Alec needed to calm down and think about what little he knew.

While he and AJ didn’t have a lot of face to face time with each other, they’d known each other for years. Not only that, but Alec made a living at reading other people. The grief, exhaustion, and fear that nearly poured off his partner when AJ stepped off that elevator had been real. While Alec read signs that AJ had done some undercover work, the MI6 agent knew enough to feel confident that he could read honest emotion from fake emotion. After all, James was the best Alec had ever known and Alec could read him like a book. Not to mention Edward Paddington and the rest of the 00’s. No, whatever was going on here, AJ was not lying to him. His lover was wrung out, afraid, and looked like someone whose entire life had been shattered. Then there was the letter.

From what little Alec had read, it was obvious that whatever Claire Paddington had done she carried a great deal of guilt with her all the way to her grave. Again, Alec found himself in the odd position of knowing more about AJ’s family and life than his partner did. The letter from the solicitor was real. While Alec didn’t know the name of Lord Paddington’s solicitor, he knew enough about the man’s death to know the dates lined up. This was thanks to his brother-like friendship with both Lord Paddington’s nephew Edward, son of Clive’s older brother George, his friendship with Clive’s son Ashcroft aka Q, who was the quartermaster at MI6 where Alec worked and having been raised on the family’s estate.

Having decided that the solicitor’s letter was real, and the emotions Tony was showing to the two letters were real, Alec had to admit that the letter from Claire Paddington was therefore also real. Thus, it wasn’t an elaborate set-up, just one of those very odd coincidences that some didn’t believe possible. Alec wasn’t one of those people though. He might be a cynical bastard, but he’d seen enough life to know coincidences happen. So, turning back to the couch, he headed back over, giving his lover a kiss on the temple in silent apology, and retook his seat to finish the letter.

By the time he got to the end, Alec’s heart hurt for both his partner and his best mate. It was a good thing that the Paddington daughter was long since deceased, because the MI6 agent wasn’t sure he could control his burning anger toward her had she been alive. While they hadn’t shared details like names, addresses or other information that could be used to pinpoint who each was, they had traded stories of their lives that were general enough that they told more about how they came to be the people they were than their identity. Through these stories, Alec had come to realize, just how lucky he was to have two sets of parents who loved him a great deal.

While he had only fuzzy memories of his Russian parents, the Trevelyan’s despite being intended to simply be guardians who were to mold him into the perfect MI6 agent had shown him love and affection. It was thanks to them that when the opportunity presented itself to avenge his birth parent’s deaths at the hands of Britain and MI6, he’d been able to keep his head and not turn traitor. Not only had he had his parents, but he had grown up around most of the Paddington clan, as well.

George Paddington had, at the time of his birth parent’s deaths, been ascending amongst the ranks of MI5. The couple that raised Alec had been a newly married couple who had retired from MI6 and took in one of the handful of children orphaned by Stalin’s death squads and brought to the UK. George’s father, who had still been alive at the time, had upon the couple’s retirement and George’s request taken the couple into his estate’s employment. Thus, Alec had grown up still being groomed to be an MI6 agent but also had been informed of the reality of his birth parents’ deaths at an early enough age that he’d worked through his anger well before he’d had revenge dangled in front of his face on a mission in Russia.

Looking to his right, Alec saw that AJ was still sleeping, and after running a finger down his lover’s cheek, stood up to head to his study. Alec had a couple calls to make to ease the way for what was to come for his lover. Before that though, he was going to call his mum and dad to tell them he loved them.

 

~*~~*~ ~*~~*~ ~*~~*~

 

When Tony woke up, his face was squished into the back of the couch, and he could hear a faint murmur of voices somewhere toward where the kitchen was. Sitting up, he ran a hand through his hair making a mess of it and turning on the couch toward the sounds behind him, he saw Alec sitting at the table with TJ. They both seemed to be coloring and talking, but they were speaking too quietly for Tony to hear what they were discussing. Briefly, he cursed his lack of phone or tablet, which prevented him from taking a picture. Shrugging it off quickly, he stood and after gathering up his cup with now cold coffee, headed toward his boys.

“What are you two up to?” Tony asked with a voice husky from sleep.

“Papà!” The little boy exclaimed happily looking up from his picture. “Unco Alec an mes color’n an tawkin bout tings. Him splainin’ dat socca stuffs.”

“Aah,” Tony said with a smile as he pressed a kiss to his son’s temple. “I see you’ve introduced him to your favorite pastime. Is he staying in the lines?”

“Creatib genus no be confined to lines, Papà,” TJ said with a scowl, “that wat Auntie Aby say.”

Tony barely repressed a sigh as he turned his attention to Alec who was watching them with a fond smile. Before the older man could speak though, TJ tugged in Tony’s sleeve to draw his attention. “Papà, hungry.”

“You just ate breakfast,” Alec pointed out, and Tony snorted.

“My son is a bottomless pit. Let’s see what Uncle Alec has in his fridge, and I’ll whip you up a snack to tide you over to lunch. Maybe then we can go exploring the neighborhood. You’ve been cooped up inside too long. You need some air and exercise.”

“Yay, splorin’” TJ cried out bouncing in his seat. After ruffling his son’s hair and giving Alec a pat on the shoulder, he headed to the refrigerator. While he was standing with the door open surveying the contents, Alec wandered over and hovered so close that Tony could feel the other man’s breathing on Tony’s neck.

“We will need to work on your food buying,” Tony quipped as he rummaged around until he found a block of cheddar and some grapes pulling them out. “Do you have any like mini crackers and nuts?”

Alec turned and headed to the pantry and pulled out a package of Whitworth’s Shots Salted Caramel Nuts and a package of Unsalted Mixed Nuts. Tony debated in his head for a moment before nodding toward the Salted Caramel Shots. They weren’t as healthy but probably had fewer things that TJ would pick out. Alec then turned and put the mixed nuts back and came back with some mini breadsticks which Tony accepted. They had those at home on occasion and his son loved them.

After putting a little plate together, Tony and Alec headed over to the windows where they could talk and still keep an eye on TJ. “I know we have several things to speak about, Luv,” Alec began as he leaned against the window and took one of Tony’s hands in his. “I am working on some things so that I can be more open with you. I am hoping that by the time that the poppet will be sleeping, and we can talk as honestly as possible until you sign some paperwork. There are things I know about you that I need to share, but I don’t want to do it while the little one is awake. I want to tell you though that…”

Alec trailed off and turned his attention out the window for a moment as Tony shoved down his surprise pausing the mass of questions forming in his mind. He trusted Alec. He ran to Alec when everything else crumbled. Tony knew there would be details they hadn’t shared, and Alec knowing the Paddingtons wouldn’t be the weirdest thing that ever happened in Tony’s life. So, he took a deep breath and waited.

“I’ve had to accept quite a few things in my life that I just would never have. I have lived in many houses in my life. I have friends that I have called family. I have had two pair of parents who love me, and I love them in return. I don’t remember my birth parents, and despite my love for them, I don’t feel as if I ever had the type of connection to them that I see in other families. I had given up on finding that or having any children in my life that I could call mine. I don’t live a life that leads to healthy relationships. So, I imagined that when the time came I’d die on some mission somewhere alone. Then you happened.

“You gave me someone to miss me. You gave me someone to think of when the missions pile up and there seems no end to death and crime. Now… Now you have given me your son. You came back into my life and brought me your son to share with me. I don’t care what he calls me. I only care that I get to share his life with you and think of him as much my poppet as he is yours. You have given me a gift that cannot be measured in money and whose value has no equal. I give my life and my soul and what is left of my honor to you to have and call your own. All I ask is that we share the rest of our lives together until one of us no longer walks the earth.”

“Fuck I love you,” Tony breathed and leaning in captured Alec’s lips in a resounding yes.

 

~*~~*~ ~*~~*~ ~*~~*~

 

That evening Tony carried a sleepy little boy from the bathroom to the guestroom that was his new home. It was fortunate that his son was a good sleeper at this stage in his life because Tony figured that it would be a while yet before daddy and Uncle Alec got to go to bed themselves. One thing that the father needed for sure was a good night’s sleep. As he crossed the threshold into the room and made his way over the short distance to the bed, Tony looked around and made a mental note that as soon as he was sure this would be their home he would talk about redecorating this space. While it would be fine temporarily, TJ needed something more child-friendly if this was to be his new home.

“Papà,” TJ said sleepily as Tony laid him on the bed. “Why couldn’ we call Auntie Ab? I waned to tell her ‘bout the ducks. An’ I wan’ to tell Nonno Unkol Gibbs bout tha boat, an Unkol Goo bout tha park, an’ an’...”

Sighing, Tony sat down on the edge of the mattress after tucking the little boy back in and giving him Mister Potamus. “Do you remember when you got mad at me a few months ago and said some things you didn’t mean because you were mad?”

“It made Papà sad,” TJ said remembering with a frown. “Did they say something bad to you?”

“Sort of,” Tony hedged momentarily, but knew his time was up and he needed to just be as honest as he could with his little boy. “Papà got some letters and found out that you have an Uncle he didn’t know about. I found out that I have another mommy and daddy that died when I was little like you. That’s when… my mommy and Senior took me. Some of papa’s friends got mad at him when he told them.”

Tony watched his son’s face shift into a frown as he thought about what he was being told. “Auntie Ab?” TJ finally asked, and Tony held back a deep sigh before he nodded.

“Yes, figlio, Auntie Abby was one of them,” Tony confirmed verbally and felt a flare of anger as he saw the hurt and confusion mar his son’s features. Abby had been insistent that Tony was being selfish in wanting to find his brother and maybe he needed to think of poor Senior. Tony still wasn’t sure how even Abby could make the old con-man a victim in all of this since he’d known the truth all along, but she had. Her actions had been the final nail in the coffin that held their friendship, and by the time he’d left the States, Tony had been more than happy to leave it and her behind.

“Tha Man?” TJ asked interrupting Tony’s thoughts, and again he nodded his agreement.

“Yes, Senior, too,” Tony again confirmed as his thoughts shifted to his son’s stubborn refusal to call Senior anything other than That Man. Tony tried his best to limit his son’s exposure to his grandfather and certainly tried his damnedest to make sure he was never left alone with the asshole. Gibbs told him once that Senior had shown up while the Team Leader had been babysitting. When the former sniper tried to go to the kitchen to get TJ a sippy cup, the little boy had crawled after him. When Senior tried to stop him, the toddler screamed his head off until Nonno Gibbs came and saved him.

When TJ gave a little huff, Tony smiled and shook his head in amusement. “The Mad Lady?” TJ asked, and like before Tony nodded.

“Yes, figlio,” Tony agreed. “Ziva, too.” Like Senior, TJ had never taken to her, and for the longest time had called her That Lady. Then one day he learned what mad was, and after that Ziva became The Mad Lady.

“Nonno Unkol Gibbs? Unko Goo? Nono Doktor Duk? Unko Gemin?” TJ asked apparently tired of asking one person at a time. From the way his son’s eyelids were at half-mast, Tony knew the questions wouldn’t last much longer.

“No, Figlio,” Tony said with a soft smile. “None of them were mad. Nonno Uncle Gibbs, Nonno Dr. Ducky, and Uncle Gremlin all said that we were doing the right thing in looking for your Uncle James. Uncle Goo said he wasn’t sure he understood what to believe, but that if this was what I thought we should do then he supported us. Papa’s hoping that someday we’ll be able to contact Nonno Gibbs and Ducky, and Uncle Goo and Gremlin again and they can come to see us. Right now, though, Papa doesn’t want Auntie Abby, That Man, and The Mad Lady to find us.”

“Unko James here?” TJ asked apparently not out of questions, and Tony gave one more nod. The father wondered though given how much his son’s eyes were drooping that the small boy would remember. He had a feeling that at some point he’d be repeating most of this.

“I believe he is, baby,” Tony advised softly. “Papà also has some family on his mommy’s side that he is thinking of contacting. I am hoping that I can find us some more family, munchkin.”

“Keepin’ Unko Alec?” TJ asked with a big yawn as his eyes fell shut, and Tony suspected that there wouldn’t be many more questions.

“I’d like to,” Tony admitted as he pulled the sheet up higher over his son’s chest. “Papà likes him an awful lot. Would you be upset if you and I lived here forever?”

“No,” TJ admitted softly as he rolled onto his side hugging Mister Potamus tightly. “Papa, dos I got get rid of Misser Potamus?”

“No, baby, no,” Tony said quickly, and leaning over kissed his son’s forehead when he saw a quick lip tremble. “Mister Potamus is your buddy! It doesn’t matter if Papà and Auntie Abby aren’t friends anymore. Mister Potamus is still your friend and I would never take him away from you. Maybe we can get you another friend to go with him though, huh?”

“Ok,” TJ agreed with a sigh and it wasn’t much longer before his son’s even breaths told Tony that the little boy had finally fallen asleep. Leaning over, he kissed TJ one more time, and then Tony stood and left making sure the intercom was still on and the bathroom light across the hall was on.

Making his way back to the living room, Tony heard Alec’s deep voice coming from his study. So, needing some caffeine to get him through till he could go to sleep himself, the former NCIS agent set about making a cup of coffee. Once that was done, he moved to the windows for more people watching, until his Love joined him again.

When he heard Alec coming, Tony turned away from the quiet street and leaned his back against the glass as he waited. “Did the poppet get to bed alright?” Alec asked, and Tony nodded as his lover came up and gave him a kiss on the lips before pulling back slightly. “Why don’t we go to the couch? I think we’ll be more comfortable there. I would like to finish our talk. There are enough secrets in my life, and I don’t want there to be any more of them between us than is necessary.”

“I agree,” Tony offered as he allowed himself to be led with his coffee in his free hand. As he sat, Tony noticed that Alec had a tumbler of clear liquid, most likely Vodka. After the two of them settled on the couch, the Brit put his tumbler on the coffee table and turned his body so that the two of them were facing. Tony echoed his actions but picked up one of Alec’s hands to curl their fingers together as he waited for the older man to start.

“I was born in Russia,” Alec started, and Tony offered a nod of understanding but remained silent as he listened to the story. “My parents tried to leave because they were in danger with all of the political things going on at the time. They didn’t trust that things were really changing and wanted something better My parents escaped in the middle of the night with just themselves and me in a group of other people doing the same. We made it all the way to Britain before we were stopped. They tried for asylum, but it was denied, and everyone was sent back. There were those that were not happy about it though, and the group was monitored, especially the 6 of us that were children.

“Once we got back to Russia, my parents along with the rest of the adults were all murdered by a radical group who still believed in Stalin’s way of doing things. Stalin had died, but not enough was really changed yet even though Khrushchev was in place. So, those that had been watching us found a way to sneak the 6 children back out of Russia and we were taken back to Britain to safety. Two of the agents in charge of that operation became my parents. I was only 6 when I was adopted, and my parents began working for the Paddington family in 1974.”

“I was two,” Tony murmured quietly drawing a grin from his lover and a quick kiss on the lips.

“And a beautiful babe I am sure you were, Luv,” Alec threw back saucily. “Me mum and dad still work on the estate. It was your Uncle George that really got them the job there. At the time we moved there, your Grandfather Albert was still alive and running things, but it was Georgie who convinced him. Dad started out working in the security detail for the grounds, and my Mum was Albert’s secretary. When he passed things to Georgie, my mum moved with him. Eventually, dad moved up and basically heads the estate security, which includes a protection detail for your Uncle George.”

“George needs a protection detail?” Tony asked with an arched eyebrow and watched Alec nod as he went on. “And you grew up with my relatives. This is so weird, and honestly, so my life.”

Alec snorted with amusement going along with the mask his love was offering as he recognized the pain and uncertainty the humor was trying to hide. “I guess that is what makes us perfect together, Zaichonok. There’s more to tell you though. As you have, I am sure, deduced from my tale thus far your Paddington family and I work for a British intelligence agency. I cannot tell you more about that right now. They are still finishing up the background work on you to make sure it is safe to bring you up to speed. Fortunately, your former Directors Vance and Morrow have been very helpful in that manner I am told and gave uhh Q the information he needed. In addition to the Paddingtons and myself though… Your brother James works with us as well.”

Tony gaped at Alex in surprise as his mind tried to process what he was being told. “OK, this is getting too weird. You have to be making shit up.” Tony threw back and got up to pace around the room for a moment.

Alec watched him head into the kitchen and poke through the cabinets coming back with a bottle of Fuze Peach and Hibiscus Tea and a container of Pringles. Both of which Tony and TJ had been happy to find at the grocery. There were definitely foods in Alec’s refrigerator and cabinets that didn’t normally reside there, but he was more amused by it than anything. As Tony pointed out, finding familiar things would help settle both himself and TJ into a new country. When a bottle of water was set down next to his tumbler of Vodka, Alec did let out a soft laugh and gave his boyfriend a grin.

“You really work with James?” Tony asked before popping a crisp in his mouth and offering the open top to Alec to take some. While he worked a few out from inside, the Brit nodded.

“I do, Luv, and I know it must be hard to believe that this is all coincidental, but as far as I know it is. I believe that it is something that is being verified to make sure there was no one sinister behind our meeting. Even as cynical as I am though I cannot imagine what nefarious scheme would hinge on our meeting. I can also promise this is not part of any kind of plot I am aware of. I would not have participated in such a thing once there was a little one involved.”

“No,” Tony shot back quickly shaking his head in emphasis, “I’m not worried about that.”

“At some point in the process that brought me here, I had to decide if I was going to trust you completely or not despite how few life details we know about each other. So, I trust you. I can’t…. Yeah, I can’t imagine why someone would plot to get us to meet. So, I’m gonna ignore Rule #39 here, ‘cause despite what Gibbs thinks sometimes there are coincidences. I just… You know James. I can’t… I thought it would be harder to find him. This is a little Days of Our Lives for me.”

When Alec arched an eyebrow in question, Tony just shrugged and offered a half smile. “American Daytime Soap Opera. I used to watch it in college. Actually, a bunch of us at the frat house watched. Is James…. Can I… Does he know… Fuck! I don’t even know what to ask right now.”

“Hey, now, Luv, easy,” Alec soothed as he moved closer so that he could move a hand over one of Tony’s shoulders. “You’re tired. You got very little sleep last night and had only a short nap today before we chased a small child all around London today. Your life has been tossed into a bloody blender, and you could only pin your hopes on someone you know very little actual information about. If you weren’t frustrated and flustered I would be highly surprised.”

Once Tony took a deep breath and nodded, Alec continued. “Now, to answer your question, yes. I really do work with your brother James. Or, I should say I believe we do. God help us all if there’s more than one James Bond in the world. We’re having visitors in the morning. So far, only George and the… Director, as you’d call him, of the organization I work for are aware of the full details you have shared with me. Your cousin Ashcroft doing a background check on you, but he is not aware of why he’s doing it just yet. Mallory and George didn’t want to take complete control over this. They understand this is a delicate situation. He will be by in the morning for brunch with your cousin Edward to be filled in with whatever information you want to share with them, and Ash will have swabs to get some DNA from you. That will allow us to compare it to James to be sure of things. Uhh… there’s also something of a… romance going on between your cousin Ashcroft and your brother James that I think you need forewarning about.”

“Holy shit,” Tony breathed and set his empty bottle and the half-empty Pringles container on the coffee table. “How very Jerry Springer of us. I can’t even… I am waving the white flag. I think I’ve hit my limits. We need to talk about things concerning TJ and if it’s ok for us to live here with you and… But I can’t…”

“Hey, it’s alright,” Alec soothed setting his empty tumbler aside and moving so that he could pull Tony into his arms. “Of course, you and the little one can live here. I thought we’d settled how much I want you both here with me. This is actually the perfect place for you because it is about as secure as you can get. There’s enough room for you and me, TJ and a nanny should you decide you need one. Let’s go to bed, Luv. You need to sleep. I will probably wake before you. So, I will get things ready in the morning for our half of the brunch. Ash and Edward are bringing some things with them. So, we don’t have to do everything. Alright?”

Nodding his head, Tony allowed himself to be pulled up and herded toward the bedroom. His mind and body were exhausted enough from the day’s activities and revelations that for once, he fell right to sleep. The next day would have more revelations of their own, but they could wait for now.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I write fanfiction for fun. It's a hobby and a stress relief. I refuse to stress over my writing. What you see is what you get. Errors, plot holes, and all. Thank you for reading my story!


	3. Quartermaster, Double Oh, and Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward Paddington, aka 008, and Ashcroft Paddington, aka Q, arrive to meet their cousin and learn some truths.

Banner by DarkJediQueen

 

# Chapter Two: Quartermaster, Double Oh, and Family

 

 

Edward Paddington was standing behind his cousin Ashcroft waiting for Alec to come to the door. The elder of the Paddingtons was still trying to figure out what was going on. His father had been fairly mum about the conversation despite the oddity of advising Ash that there would be some work required of the Quartermaster as well as personal stuff for Ashcroft. So, it would be a dual need trip and for some reason, Edward’s father had seemed worried about that. The reminder that Edward had just recently gone through a security threat assessment that included all living members of the Paddington’s living family had been even odder.

As Edward was pondering the possibilities when Alec opened the door to let them in. The sight that greeted them almost convinced Edward that he was still dreaming.

“’Lo Mates,” Alec greeted with a grin. “The poppet is TJ. Say hullo, poppet.”

“Lo, poppet,” TJ repeated with a giggle as he waved. “I is TJ. It very nice to meet yous, mates.”

Alec chuckled and stepped back to allow his visitors inside. “Come in. Come in. I just have to set the little one up with some fruit to snack on until we can cook breakfast. I hope that you have not eaten yet. Tony is making us waffles this morning. TJ says this is a good thing.”

“Papà is very good cook,” TJ said solemnly as he was carried back to the kitchen table with Edward and Ashcroft trailing behind him. “Tank you for the ride, Unkol Alec. I will do my colors while you big pepols talk shop. No forget me grapes please.”

Alec smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of the child’s blonde head before heading to the kitchen with Edward trailing behind. Ashcroft was standing near the table studying the child as if he were one of his experiments.

“Someone drop a kid on your doorstep, Alec? How did they find you? At least you are doing a DNA test to ensure that he is yours.” Edward offered quietly as he watched his longtime friend wash grapes and put them in a bowl without taking them off the stem.

“The DNA test is not for the poppet you lug,” Alec said exacerbated throwing a glare Edward’s way. The two of them turned their attention to the table to ensure the child hadn’t overheard and Edward at least was relieved to see Ash had taken a seat and was talking to the child. “I very much know who his father is, and it is not me. The DNA test is for the same person that required you to bring the NDA. I cannot go into that right now, however, because there are a couple things that I need you and Ash to read first before we discuss… things. Plus, I have to wait for Tony to come out. He’s having a case of the nerves this morning. Do try and be more your mother’s son than James’ best mate, huh?”

“Whatever does that mean?” Edward asked scowling as Alec just studied him. His oldest friend was certainly being odd this morning, the child notwithstanding.

“It means that I need you to hold your temper and not take things out on Tony,” Alec whispered as he picked up the bowl. “I also need you to keep your cousin from acting rashly. If I could keep from saying something stupid, then you both should be able to as well. This might be somewhat emotional for Ash and in this instance, I am not sure I am the one to comfort him, all things considered.”

Edward opened his mouth to ask more questions but could only offer a growl as Alec headed out carrying the child’s grapes. The Paddington heir was forced to follow him first to the kitchen table where they gathered Ashcroft, and then to the living room area where the two cousins each took a seat with Ashcroft on the sofa and Edward choosing a chair with his back to the windows. Alec handed him two envelopes, the top one coming from the family’s legal firm, which confused Edward even further.

“Read the legal one first, please,” Alec ordered firmly, “and I would suggest you read them both before giving them to Ashcroft. Ash…” Alec trailed off as he seemed to study MI6’s young quartermaster.

“I recognize that this will not be easy for you to read. All I ask is that you remember that none of this is Tony’s fault. The missteps were taken by those that can no longer answer for their wrongdoings. If all else fails, the child is close, and Tony tries to limit the amount of anger and shouting that he is exposed to. I am sure if you think back to what you know of Tony’s father then you will understand.”

“However, would I know this Tony’s father?” Ashcroft asked seemingly as confused as Edward was.

Alec didn’t respond right away, and Edward found it interesting that his friend looked to the child and then back in the direction of the bedrooms before responding. “Why, because he is your cousin, Q.  Tony is your deceased aunt’s son Anthony. Just… please remember he is a victim in all this as well. If for no other reason than because I love him with all that I had forgotten I was capable of.”

Then, after Alec offered a nod in his direction, Edward watched the man head back to the bedrooms after stopping to give the child’s hair an affectionate ruffle. Knowing that now the only answers he would get were inside the envelopes in his hand, Edward opened the first one and began to read.

By the time he was done reading his long dead Aunt’s words to the son she apparently had not given birth to, Edward was fighting to keep the emotion from his face. While it was true that as a Double 0, he was used to hiding how he really felt about people and situations, this wasn’t work.  Edward Paddington wasn’t an open book, but he was much more emotionally transparent than 008, his alter identity was.

“Edward?” Ashcroft queried, and carefully, Edward folded the second letter back up putting it inside its envelope once more. Then, he moved to the sofa so that he might sit next to his youngest cousin. Although as the child caught his attention, he remembered that Ash was not the youngest any longer.

“Just read, Ash,” Edward advised as he handed over the envelopes. The letter from Clive’s attorney once more on top. “Try and remember what Alec asked of us. I know it will be hard but do think of the child. Then Edward handed over the envelopes and held his breath. It didn’t take long for his cousin to make his first observation.

“This is from the family’s law firm,” Ash noted, and Edward just nodded. After taking a deep breath, he leaned back against the sofa looking up at the ceiling.

He couldn’t help but wonder what chaos was about to decent down upon the family.

 

~*~~*~ ~*~~*~ ~*~~*~

 

When he got done with the first letter, he turned to Edward with questions swirling around in his brain, only to find his cousin staring at the ceiling. “Read the second letter, Ash. Try and remember this is not either Anthony or James’ fault.”

“James?” Ashcroft repeated and watched Edward close his eyes with a sigh.

“Just read, Ash,” Edward advised as he handed over the envelopes. The letter from Clive’s attorney once more on top. “Try and remember what Alec asked of us. I know it will be hard but do think of the child.” Then Edward handed over the envelopes and held his breath. It didn’t take long for his cousin to make his first observation.

“This is from the family’s law firm,” Ash noted, and Edward just nodded. After taking a deep breath, he leaned back against the sofa looking up at the ceiling.

He couldn’t help but wonder what chaos was about to decent down upon the family.

When Ashcroft got done with the first letter, he turned to Edward with questions swirling around in his brain, only to find his cousin staring at the ceiling. “Read the second letter, Ash. Try and remember this is not either Anthony or James’ fault.”

“James?” Ashcroft repeated and watched Edward close his eyes with a sigh.

“Just read, Ash, please,” Edward pled sounding tired. “I will be here when you get done.”

When he completed the second letter, Ashcroft Roosevelt Paddington found himself nearly speechless with confusion. A state that his life partner James Bond would find amusing if he were witness to it.

James.

Ashcroft stood and would have moved away from the seating area and begin to pace but found himself yanked back down to sit on the sofa. “What are you doing, Edward?” Ashcroft snapped but quickly leaned back when he found his cousin almost immediately within his space.

“Remember where you are, cousin,” Edward warned quietly, and Ashcroft could see he was holding in his ire, “and remember the little ears nearby for God’s sake.”

“Oh,” Ash murmured as he turned to look toward the table to see the child watching them appearing nervous. “It is alright, Tristian.”

“Your Uncle Ashcroft just lost his balance,” Edward assured calmly giving the child a smile. “We didn’t mean to disturb you. Have you finished your picture?” The boy seemed to be unsure of their honesty but slowly shook his head no. Then, after another pause, went back to his coloring.

“He kept this a secret,” Ashcroft snapped quietly drawing Edward’s attention from the boy, “and however do we even know all of this is even the truth?”

“We all know that Anthony’s father is a scoundrel and little more than a criminal. For all, we know this is some kind of plot.”

“A plot that can be very easily verified by a simple call to the family solicitor?” Edward asked drolly. “Here I thought it was James and Alec who was prone to rash actions and snap judgments. I thought better of you Quartermaster.”

“What are you babbling about?” Ashcroft snapped again obviously frustrated, and this time, Edward just leaned back against the couch and watched his young cousin until the other man took a deep breath and offered a nod. Once his cousin and Quartermaster appeared to be calm again, Edward began to explain.

“Stop trying to fabricate reasons why this cannot be true. There’s no logic in it. No matter what you or the family, in general, think of Anthony’s father, that con man has nothing to do with what kind of man his son is. Do try and remember that my father sent us here, after getting a request from Alec. If you truly believe that my father does not at least know the basics of Anthony and if he’s trustworthy or not, then I think you have forgotten yourself. The validity of the letters is not in question here. It would be foolish to believe that something that can be so easily verified would be falsified. Not to mention the DNA test that Father ordered you to bring. Or have you forgotten that little item? I think you are focusing on all of the wrong things.”

“And whatever do you believe I should be focusing on then?” Ashcroft asked mulishly.

“Are you not the one who is forever complaining about the walls of James’ that you cannot get around?” Edward asked arching an eyebrow.

“What of them?” Ashcroft asked confused at the direction the conversation was taking.

Edward reached to the table and picked up Claire’s letter searching for the appropriate section he needed. “When your parents died, James clung to you endlessly for days. When he found out that Anthony and I were going to America, he lifted his little chin and said that things would work out. When he found out that he wasn’t coming, he cried and begged and pleaded. The sound of his cries haunts my dreams.” Lowering the letter, the elder cousin looked to his Uncle’s youngest son.

“Why ever do you think that James keeps everything so close to the vest? We certainly will do the testing to verify that which we believe true, but in my opinion, that is the best explanation for why James is the way he is that I have ever heard. I cannot even fathom having both of your parents torn away from you at once. Then the only person you have left is callously ripped from your arms and wiped away from your life as if he never existed. Then can you imagine being Anthony?

Raised by a man like his father, and we know what both our parents think of the man. Mother dies when he’s a child leaving him with no one but that vile man to care for him. I can only imagine what it must have been like after Auntie died. Now, at forty years of age, he’s found out that neither Anthony Senior or Claire were his parents. His real parents are dead. His only living family isn’t even his family, and all he has in the world that shares his blood are his child and a man he doesn’t know how to find.

Frankly, the fact that he knows Alec and we all know James so that the brothers can be somewhat easily reunited is nothing short of a miracle in my mind. But my god the pain and uncertainty they are going to go through before this all gets settled. So, I ask, are you still so worked up about whether or not those letters are genuine? Or perhaps are you more concerned with how James will take this? And of course, there’s the question as to why on earth your father at best and the elder family members at worst would keep all of this a secret all these years?”

“Oh, bloody hell,” Ashcroft swore softly as his eyes traveled back to the child at the table.

“Oh, James.”

“Oh, James, indeed,” Edward repeated as he headed to the kitchen to make some tea. He had a feeling they were all going to need it.

 

~*~~*~ ~*~*~ ~*~~*~

 

Alec walked into the bedroom to see Tony sitting on the bed with a towel around his waist and smirked at the sight. “You know, if we had fewer people in the flat luv I would be doing dirty things to you right now. As it is, we don’t really have time for that. It’s a shame.” When Tony didn’t respond or even move, Alec pushed away from where he was leaning in the doorway and moved around the side of the bed to where his love was staring at the floor.”

“What is wrong, zaichonok,” Alec asked softly as he sat down next to his partner and put a hand just above the bare skin not being covered by the towel.

“I don’t know how I am supposed to feel right now,” Tony admitted quietly, and Alec could hear the stress and uneasiness in his voice. “I don’t know how I am supposed to react to those people out there. At least one person in that family knew that Senior wasn’t my real father and wasn’t the person that my blood parents entrusted to raise me and left me with that asshole anyway. For all I know, they all were aware. Then there’s the part where even I know they did not like Senior, and I am very aware of the assumptions people who know my father make of the person I must be as a result. I don’t… I can’t help but forget these people know James already. What if they hate me? What if they make James hate me before I even have a chance? What do I do then? How do I convince them that I’m enough? That I’m not my father’s son. How do I make them believe all that I went through to become my own man and not the person he wished me to be? And, I can’t…. I wish Uncle George had come.”

“Why George?” Alec asked quietly, ignoring the earlier concerns for the moment, not sure how to address them.

“My mother saw him as something of a savior. Like a knight in shining armor or something. She said Georgie can always solve everything.”

Alec smiled slightly at the reminder and found himself kissing the back of his lover’s hand before speaking. “I find that interesting considering I was of the impression that she and Clive were as thick as thieves.”

“Mother said that Clive was usually the one that encouraged the trouble she was in or was right there in trouble with her,” Tony replied softly as he leaned into his partner. “Clive was her partner in crime, but George was the safe haven.”

“And Stephen?” Alec asked with a smile, and Tony offered a snort of amusement before he replied.

“A pain in her arse,” Tony confided with a faint chuckle, “she said it was the way younger siblings were. I’ve never understood though because I’ve never had siblings of my own… Or not known I had them, I guess. Still, don’t have any younger ones, but...” Tony trailed off with a sigh, and Alec moved his arm to wrap it around the younger man’s shoulder.

“It will all work out, Tone,” Alec promised as he squeezed the other man’s shoulders in a one-armed hug. “You will see. Edward and Ashcroft are good people. They will be on your side of things, and younger cousins are almost the same as younger siblings in this family. I know you missed a great deal being across the pond, but you’ll learn that at the very least. Look at things this way. Senior is very unlikely to show up anytime soon.”

“Doesn’t need to,” Tony murmured as he rested his head briefly against Alec’s. “He has a new family to sponge off now, a whole new set of victims. I just want James. I don’t mean to be ungrateful. I just…”

“You’re scared,” Alec inserted when Tony trailed off. “You’re scared and uncertain and it’s all completely understandable. Your entire world has been turned on its head, and you have no idea of what you are supposed to be doing next. The fear and confusion are understandable. So, just trust me to lead you down the right path until you find your footing again. I won’t lead you or the poppet wrong. You have my word.”

Tony offered a single nod before pressing a kiss to Alec’s cheek. He then seemed to take a deep breath, before standing and moving to the closet to get dressed. Alec watched quietly and just hoped that his friends heeded his request. If anyone else brought more hurt to his Luv, Alec would be knocking heads together. Poppet or no.

 

~*~~*~ ~*~~*~ ~*~~*~

 

Tony let Alec lead him through the apartment by his hand. He smiled as his heart stopped at the kitchen table where Tony kissed the top of TJ’s hair, after oohing and aahing over the picture that he was coloring. Once his son was sufficiently satisfied that there would be waffle making soon, the father allowed himself to be led over to meet his cousins. He couldn’t help but notice how one of them looked like he walked off the pages of a GQ add, while the other looked like he belonged in a college library or in a science lab somewhere.

There were some similarities though. Enough that he could see them being related. For maybe the first time in his life, he could only imagine if he would look like his only living relative or would they look like complete strangers. He couldn’t help but find it ironic how often in his life people had told him how much he looked like Senior. A man that it seemed he wasn’t related to in any way. If Tony’s luck kept on its normal track, he and his actual blood relative would look like virtual strangers.

“Cousin Anthony!” Drew Tony out of his thoughts with a wince as he saw both men standing.

“Oh, please no,” Tony winced shaking his head, “never Anthony unless you’re a mostly harmless old man who likes talking to dead bodies and wearing bow ties. It’s Tony.”

“Tone meet your cousins Edward Henry Paddington future Marquess of Montagu and Ashcroft Roosevelt Paddington, who is your uncle Clive’s youngest son. Edward would be your eldest cousin and both work with me. Did we get the clearance to fill Tony in on everything? Or are we still doing the careful tap dance?”

“Oh, yes,” Ashcroft replied with a nod as he began to dig into a bag lying at his feet. While that was happening, Alec ushered Tony into the loveseat, and the former NCIS agent couldn’t help but notice that Edward seemed to move from where he’d been sitting on the couch to the armchair that faced them. Briefly, he wondered if that was a conscious thought or not. A voice in his head was saying Edward just wanted to be able to keep an eye on him, but Tony was self-aware enough to admit circumstances were making him slightly paranoid.

“Uncle George had the MI5 Quartermaster run your clearance. I was advised this morning that it was a relatively easy thing to accomplish with your dual British and American citizenship and you have such a high clearance already with the Americans.”

Tony couldn’t help but smile at the sound of the eldest of his mother’s siblings name being mentioned, and couldn’t stop himself from uttering, “Georgie.”

“What was that?” Edward inquired, and Tony shifted his gaze from where he’d been staring unseeing out the windows to the older man. It took him a second to understand what the older cousin was asking about as his mind had gotten caught up in memories of the woman that he’d called mother. Someday he’d have to decide what he thought of her now, but today wasn’t that day. So, he shoved that introspection into a box to be examined at a later date.

“Senior liked to keep Claire isolated,” Tony began speaking softly and letting his gaze drift back over to look out the windows behind Edward. “I don’t know the exact reason, but from having investigated more than one spousal abuse case in my career I would say it was deliberate. My guess is that he liked having my mother to himself for both her beauty and the money in her bank account. Something like a rare expensive treasure that you acquired illegally. I am fairly certain now that the only reason he agreed to the adoption was that there must have been an additional trust fund that came to her after having a child. He always insists that she was the love of his life, but I am not certain that the fucker knows what the word means. The frequent bruising on her arms from him yanking her about and the way she drank to escape the cruel words he was forever bellowing at her certainly say something different about the matter.

“So, until the day she died, I was the one that was with her more than any other individual. When she was deep into her mint juleps or glasses of wine, she’d talk about her brothers. Mother always said that Clive was her partner in crime. He was the one that dragged her along on his adventures and got her into scrapes. She talked of him quite fondly and made it clear that once upon a time they had been extremely close. Your father though, Edward, Uncle George, she always talked about somewhat reverently, and always without fail called him Georgie.”

Tony paused for a moment caught up once more in his head, and because of it didn’t notice that his voice had taken on a British lilt that he normally kept ruthlessly under wraps. “She’d say, Anthony, when I was a girl and in trouble, I always ran to Georgie. No matter how much of a mess I had gotten myself into, or how it could have been avoided had I only listened to him, he was always there for me. Never forget that Anthony. If you are ever in trouble, real trouble, the kind that you just don't see a way out of, run to Georgie. He can always solve everything."

“She called you Anthony?” Alec questioned softly sensing that his luv was in a different place mentally at the moment and didn’t want to cruelly yank him out of it.

“Always without fail she called me Anthony,” Tony confirmed quietly as his mind played images of the woman that he’d found so breathtakingly beautiful as a child and had loved so incredibly completely. “People always assume that I hate being called that name because that’s what Senior goes by, but that isn’t the truth. Senior isn’t even why she agreed to call me Anthony. She was fascinated by the love story of Antony and Cleopatra.

“She thought it was the most romantic tale ever. She was like that. Always looking for what love could be. Probably because her life was so horribly loveless outside of the bond she and I shared. So, when Senior insisted on naming me after him, she didn’t complain, because in her mind she was naming me after Mark Antony, not the man calling himself my father. It was, therefore, all rather romantic and wonderful.

“It was my intention to go to the lawyer’s office and beg them to contact Uncle George for me so that I could get help. I never imagined that Alec would already have all these connections himself. I can’t help but wonder if maybe it means the Fates have stopped beating me up, and possibly are willing to give me a break now. I can’t settle on what to think or feel about her now, but somehow it seemed right to go for help to the man that she always looked to fix her mistakes.”

“He would have done so without hesitation,” Edward asserted quietly himself. “My mother your Aunt Olivia, Tony, told me once that when Aunt Claire left for America it changed the whole family, but especially father and Uncle Clive. Then when she died it changed them again. I think they’d always hoped that someday she’d see the right of things and come home. When that possibility was removed from them Uncle Clive became more bitter and melancholy about the whole situation and father just became quiet about it all. He hardly ever mentions her name. I think mostly because it hurts him so terribly much. I am certain that he considers her estrangement from the family his greatest failure and believes that her death was a direct result of that failure of his.”

“My father your Uncle Clive, Tony, loved her deeply,” Ashcroft offered almost pleadingly as he held a tablet on his lap. It was clear from how his voice wavered that the emotion of the story had affected him. In honest, it had affected them all, but Alec and Edward were trained to contain their emotions where Ashcroft wasn’t, and since this was not MI6 he was not keeping as tight of a lid on his feelings as he would there. “To the day he died he loved her, and I know that he felt something in himself died when she did. He hated Anthony Senior with a passion that I had rarely seen in him. Father was so torn on how to handle you, and I think where Aunt Claire was Uncle George’s self-perceived greatest failure, you were my father’s.

“He was so torn between soul consuming anger at everything that led up to her death and longing to have a connection to that last remaining thing that meant so much to her. Because of that, I think he was stuck in this mental quicksand that left him unable to do anything. I do hope that you go and get his letter, Cousin. My father was a good man. Even despite all that I have learned today, I believe that. I just think that losing your mother first to Anthony Senior and then later to death left him only a shadow of the person he had been.”

“Anger is a poisonous thing,” Tony confirmed moving his eyes finally off the window and over to his youngest cousin. “It eats up your soul, your ability to effectively reason between right and wrong, and your ability to not just have compassion for others but just simply sympathize with their struggles. Uncle Clive would not be the first good man that it hampered. I cannot foresee myself holding any kind of grudge against the man.”

“I must say you have quite a good British accent, Cousin,” Edward quipped lightly, and Tony offered a smile. He was grateful that someone else was trying to lighten the atmosphere that had become heavier than Tony would like.

“I didn’t notice it when you first started talking. Alec wearing off on you already?”

“Well, I do pick up things like accents and such quite easily,” Tony conceded and gave Alec a soft smile before explaining further. He didn’t know what it was about these two men that made him want to open up and reveal things he had kept locked down so tightly for most of his life. Maybe it was the familial connection. Maybe it was his unbalanced emotions, or maybe it was just his exhaustion with feeling like he had to constantly hide every little bit of his life for fear of it being used against him.

“So, it isn’t intentional, but to be completely honest, I spoke with more of a British accent up until my mo… until Claire died than I did an American one. As I said, I spent most of my time with her. I had a private tutor who was also British, and thus I picked up on how she talked and said things.”

“How did you lose that?” Ashcroft inquired innocently as he shifted the tablet on his lap. Tony debated for a moment before answering because it was a much uglier answer than he was sure Ashcroft intended but decided to continue his honesty.

“Well, boarding schools can be quite the incentive to lose anything that makes you stand out from the pack, but it was really Senior,” Tony explained with a sigh and when Alec’s arm slipped around his shoulders, he gave the other man a grateful smile. His boyfriend had already heard this answer, having asked something similar to what Ashcroft had years before. “To be truthful though, Senior didn’t give me any choice in the matter. The day of my mother’s funeral he dragged me home afterward, and then took me directly up to my room. Once there he beat the ever-loving shit out of me until I learned to speak without what he called that uppity fucking tone in my voice.

“According to him, he’d tolerated it from my mother, but he would be damned if he’d let some little fucking brat speak to him in such a way. Once it was clear I wasn’t going to respond or wasn’t even able to move, he locked me in until I was fully healed and could talk like a fucking American. Needless to say, it was several months and a shitload of TV before I was let out. Then it was only to be taken directly to the train to be shipped off to boarding school. I didn’t see the bastard again until he made me go to Maui with him when I was 12 for a business deal. At some point, while we were there though he forgot I was with him and left me behind.”

“Didn’t your mother die when you were 8?” Edward asked sounding more than a little horrified, and Tony just shrugged at first.

“Yeah, but boarding school was really the best for both of us,” Tony admitted then felt it was only fair to clarify. “To be fair I wasn’t at the same boarding school the whole time. I got kicked out of them a lot. I was a pretty angry little shit. I wasn’t the easiest thing to deal with and he supposedly had more important things to deal with.”

“Jesus,” Alec breathed as Ashcroft and Edward just looked at him stunned. Ashcroft had a look of horror in his eyes, while Edward leaned more toward rage mixed in with something Tony didn’t want to or even know how to label. Shifting uncomfortably, the father quickly made an excuse about checking on his son and asked if anyone else needed something to drink. He wasn’t used to the looks they were giving him and wasn’t sure if it was pity, sympathy, or compassion. Whatever it was, he wasn’t used to it and didn’t like it.

By the time he got back, the waffle batter was made and resting while the waffle iron heated up. He had a refill of coffee or tea for everyone, and the reactions had been locked down by Edward and Alec, at least. Ashcroft still seemed to be struggling with whatever he was feeling, but Tony was determined to just ignore it.

“We have a little bit before I have to start making waffles, and the rest of brunch needs to be heated up or gotten together. I am guessing that you have some kind of Non-Disclosure Agreement for me to sign so you can tell me exactly what it is you guys do?”

“Yes, thank you,” Ashcroft said, and Tony could almost see him changing from Cousin Ashcroft to whatever he officially did at wherever they worked. “I must say, while I was only able to quickly peruse the information on your background check as Edward drove us here, what I read was quite impressive. You have made yourself quite the career, and I know that father would have been quite proud of you were he still alive. As it is, Uncle George is probably already scheming on how to get you into either MI5, where he was what you would call a Director formerly or MI6 where most of us work now.

“Alec, Edward, and your brother James all work in our Double 0 Program, which would be something similar to your CIA operatives to do longer undercover work I believe. I am the Quartermaster, which means that I oversee the handling of missions, research, and development of weapons and technology to assist our operatives in the field, and I also oversee all incoming and outgoing information and harvesting of the data that we use for missions. MI6 is not quite an equal comparison to your CIA, but it is generally the same thing. MI5 would most closely be related to your FBI, but that is a much shakier comparison than that of the one to the CIA. Unfortunately, your brother James is out of the country on an information gathering mission, but fortunately, it is not one that is long term. By the time that we have the DNA test results back, he should be back in the country.”

“Huh,” Tony uttered before turning his gaze to Alec and noticed the blond’s expression was carefully locked down. “It’s nice to hear I wasn’t far off. I guessed something with undercover work and violence pretty quickly, and then tried not to think about it too much after that for safety sake.”

“It doesn’t bother you that I will at times be out of contact for weeks and months at a time?” Alec asked, and Tony made a face at him before answering.

“That would be somewhat hypocritical of me. It isn’t as if I plan on being a stay at home dad or something, and I really only have one good skill set. I want to do some kind of cop work or intelligence work. While I don’t wanna do a ton of undercover because of TJ, I will be honest in saying I love it. So, if I can get a good situation set up, I wouldn’t be opposed to something short like a couple weeks. I don’t know what my prospects will be over here though. So, we’ll see how long it takes to get something going, but no. I would be an asshole to be mad at you for doing your job. We’ll just have to make sure that we have a good way to explain it to TJ. I’m guessing that Uncle George will be an old hat at it and have some ideas. I don’t know how I feel about being recruited to MI5 or MI6 just because of the woman who adopted me. Nepotism has never been my favorite thing or a good thing in my experience.”

“If Uncle cannot, I can assure you that the Aunties will have suggestions,” Ashcroft offered with a shrug and a frown and Tony felt as if he was being dissected by the younger man’s gaze. “I can also assure you that they’ll have you talked into some kind of nanny for young Tristian. As for nepotism, you and your brother seem to have the same ability to only hear the parts of what I say that fits whatever negative self-image you have of yourselves. While I know nothing about the hiring requirements for MI5, I can assure you that positions at MI6 are not handed out simply because of something ridiculous like shared genetics. I do clearly recall saying that I had reviewed at least part of your file and found it highly impressive.

“Naturally there would be some testing involved, but I don’t foresee that being a problem for you. I feel like I am a rather good judge of character, and from what I have seen in your file thus far you share an impeccable sense of justice with James that MI6 highly covets. Plus, I am rather intrigued by the computer degree in your schooling records along with the Psychology degree. Obviously, it is up to you, but I would like to set up some testing for you to see what you would qualify for.”

Ashcroft then held out the tablet for Tony to take. “That is our NDA. Please read through it carefully, and then sign at the end. Think about the testing offer. Our testing will work for both MI6 and MI5. So, you will not need to choose between the two ahead of time.”

“How much of this goodwill on your part has something to do with your relationship with my brother?” Tony asked, not looking up from the digital document that he was reading through.

“As James’ partner, I only wish for the two of you to have a strong healthy relationship,” Ashcroft advised rather frankly, and when Tony glanced up he didn’t see anything but honesty on the younger man’s face. “I do not need you to be employed by MI5 or MI6 to accomplish that. Frankly, I would say James will be rather cross with me encouraging them hiring you into one of the two organizations. My guess is that he will want to do nothing more than wrap you up in a great deal of bubble wrap and keep you as safe from the world as possible. I do hope that you are patient with him. From the sounds of your mother’s words, and I know you are hurt at the moment, but Claire Paddington was still your mother, even if she made some poor choices in her life, I would say James suffered quite a bit at your loss. It will take him some time to realize that you are not still a helpless babe.”

Tony hummed before turning his attention back to the NDA. He didn’t want to think about anything else emotional at the moment. It was really getting to be too much. So, after signing his name to the end, he headed off to the kitchen, with the others following and proceeded to get brunch together with Alec’s help, as Edward and Ashcroft got to know their new little cousin. As he poured batter in the waffle iron, Tony firmly pushed all the emotional things to the back of his mind determined that they stay in the shadows for a little while. Enough was definitely enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I write fanfiction for fun. It's a hobby and a stress relief. I refuse to stress over my writing. What you see is what you get. Errors, plot holes, and all. Thank you for reading my story!


	4. An Unexpected Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony takes a tour of MI6 and ends up neck deep in a mission.

Banner by DarkJediQueen

 

# Chapter Three: An Unexpected Rescue

 

 

It had been roughly three weeks since Tony arrived in London, and he had to admit that he was finally feeling much more like himself. He missed Gibbs and the advice he got from the older man who often served as somewhat of a compass between the person that Tony was pretending to be, and the person the former SFA had hidden from most of the prying eyes. However, after a few days of reflection and quiet conversation between himself and Alec when little ears were sleeping or otherwise occupied, it was becoming clear that even that connection had become somewhat poisonous.

The first three days after the visit from Ashcroft and Edward had been spent touring the historical city often with one or both of his cousins accompanying them. Tony had made the hard decision to hold off on meeting any more of his Paddington relatives until after he and James had been able to reconnect. It felt like something close to betrayal if James returned to London and found his brother playing happy family with the people possibly involved in separating them.  So, Tony had sent word via Edward that he wasn’t ready for the rest of the Paddington’s yet, and had received assurances back from Uncle George that they quite understood.

The fourth morning after meeting his cousins started off filled with angst and sadness when TJ came out from his bedroom after waking up for the day clutching his hippo. “Papà, we is never gonna see my Aunties and Unkols and Nonno Unkol Gibbs again, is we? I haven’t talked to them in a very long time. Do they not loves me anymore?”

After letting out a heavy sigh, Tony opened his arms, and let his son scramble up into his lap just before the dam burst and the tears came. The father let his son cry out his unhappiness and then for the second time tried to explain in a way that a small child could understand that his Auntie Abby and Ziva had done some things that upset Papà. Because of that, he felt it was safer to come here and stay with Uncle Alec. He should have known better than to try and have the first conversation when TJ was mostly asleep. “We talked about this the other night. Do you remember? You have an Uncle James who lives here. He’s Papà’s brother, and I would very much like us to meet him.”

“A real Unkol?” TJ parroted as he leaned back so he could look in his father’s eyes. “Not a sorta Unkol that loves me very much but who doesn’t share the same pants as my Papà?”

Alec let out a startled gasp of laughter and Tony just smirked at him over his shoulder before turning his attention back to his son. The last time Tony tried to explain the difference between friends and family to his son, the former NCIS agent had made the mistake of mentioning genes and genetics. TJ, of course, knew what jeans were, and Tony hadn’t been able to get his almost 3-yr old to understand that genes and jeans weren’t the same things. So, genes were now pants. Sometimes, Tony thought that the years he spent trying to explain American idioms to Ziva was a lesson from the Fates to prepare him for the curiosity of a child. TJ was very definitely curious and inquisitive. It was a trait of his own that Tony could see in his son and be proud to have passed along.

“Yes, figlio,” Tony confirmed with a smile and a kiss to his son’s forehead. “A real uncle who I am sure will love you very much.”

“Course him will,” TJ said assuredly, “I is cute. What about Nonno Unkol Gibbs and Nonno Doktor Ducky and Unkol Goo and Unkol Gremlin? I miss them deadfully, Papà!”

“Dreadfully,” Tony corrected automatically with a smile. “And I’m working a way for you to talk to them again, remember? I know it feels like it’s been forever, but it’s only been a few days. Papà just doesn’t feel like it’s safe right now. I promise that I will find a way for you to talk to Nonno Uncle Gibbs as soon as possible, In the meantime, you have your new Cousins you can talk to. Ashcroft said that you could text him or call him whenever you wanted.”

“Yes, Papà, but he is a very busy man,” TJ insisted seriously, and Tony just nodded as he hugged his son. “Yes, he is. It’s why he said that he might not always be able to answer. In the meantime, Alec and Uncle George have someone that they think would be a very nice new friend for you. Her name is Isla Collins, and her family works with Uncle George’s family.”

“Uncle George, that I has not met yet?” TJ asked and after getting a nod from his father continued with his questioning. “I remembers now. That Man and The Mad Lady have something to do with us not being abol to talk to my Auntie and Unkols and NonnoUnkol Gibbs, right? I do not like them very much, Papà, and I would not be sad if they were gone foreber.”

“I know you don’t, baby,” Tony assured giving his son another peck on the forehead. “And yes, you remembered right. More That Man than The Mad Lady, but yes both of them have something to do with why we can’t talk to the others. Papà and Alec are going to do our best to find a way to fix it so you can talk to the ones you want again, ok?”

TJ nodded and squeezed his hippo tight before looking up at his daddy. “Is you sure I don’ has to give up Misser Potamus? I loves him very much, Papà, and I don’t want to lose him, toos.  He is my bestest friend! But if Auntie Abby upset you, I don’t want to make you more sadder because I knows that she gived him to mes when I first came out of Mommy and you bringed me home.”

“No, baby, I’m fine with you keeping him” Tony denied as he gave his son a tight hug. Tony had never been allowed to have the connection to a stuffed bear or toy like TJ had to his hippo because Senior thought it was too low class for his son. Tony would never forget the small stuffed squirrel that he’d hidden for months as a child. When Senior found the toy, he’d drug his son to the study and forced him to throw it in the fire then beat the shit out of him for having it in the first place. It was the act of throwing his friend into the fireplace and having to watch him burn that left the deepest scars. The beating had been just one of many he’d received from the con-man. “Mister Potamus is your friend, and Papà would never take him away from you forever.”

“Jus when he needs a bath in the washing ‘chine?” TJ inquired to be sure and Tony nodded solemnly.

“Only then, baby.”

“Ok, Papà tank you,” TJ replied as he scrambled back. “I am going to go work on my piture gifts now.”

“Who are you working on today, Poppet?” Alec asked with a smile. Tony could hear the relief in his voice and guessed that it was happiness that the child was happy again. It was apparent that his love had quickly become attached to the little boy, and Tony was hugely grateful for it. Alec had even taken the time to tell TJ about all his new Paddington relatives, and made a list of all their names and things they liked. TJ was using it to color or draw pictures for all of them as gifts when he met them.

The afternoon of that same day had involved a trip to the Paddington family’s law firms’ office to meet with Charles Sheffield. After signing all the documents for the trust funds, the new family left with Tony in possession of a letter from his Uncle Clive that was currently safely ensconced in Alec’s safe until Tony was ready to deal with whatever the older man had written. The thickness of the envelope alone was daunting and suggested that Tony’s now-deceased uncle hadn’t just offered a quick hello and sorry I was an arsehole.

Fortunately, the next day Isla Collins had come into their lives, and it didn’t take even a week for Tony to wonder how they had managed without her. TJ adored the woman who was his new nanny, and Tony felt more comfortable knowing that he had someone who was not only a former member of the British Army but had been extensively trained in various protection techniques by MI5 and MI6. Then, before she’d been officially signed to the family’s newest charge, Isla had gotten some tutelage from Georgie himself, which only left

Tony choked up and awed that his Paddington relative cared so much about TJ’s safety.

After Tony had spent too many days cooped up in the apartment going out of his mind with boredom having nothing more to occupy his mind than for it to worry over a lot of things, Alec dragged him to MI6 to begin his testing. Oddly enough, it was that testing that had helped Tony the most. While some things were new to him either because of differing British laws from what he was used to in America or just because SIS, the agency that held both MI5 and MI6, wasn’t quite NCIS, a lot of it was similar enough to the things he’d gone through at NCIS that Tony felt right at home. He hadn’t even complained about the psychological testing whether it be the obvious testing or the ones disguised as something else. Supposedly, the testing was completed, and they were just waiting on the results.

For his part, Tony was a little skeptical but was going along with it as he got his tour of the MI6 headquarters. One of the questions that he’d been asked was if he had a preference to one side or the other, Tony confessed that he would prefer MI6, not only for Alec, but also because Ashcroft, or Q as he was to be called when in the building, and Edward was there. While he was better than he had been, Tony still felt enough off balance that he thought having people familiar to him nearby would be better than being a man on an island at MI5.

This led to his current location inside Ashcroft, Q Tony silently corrected himself, Q’s domain. They hadn’t been inside the doors of Q Branch long before his cousin had been called to help with something urgent leaving Tony to wander around checking things out with Edward acting as a shadow.

Tony had been studying a table of what appeared to be gadgets in various stages of development when one side of a conversation nearby caught his attention. It wasn’t so much the words being said, but the tone of the voice as it wobbled with obvious fear and nerves. Trying his best for casual, Tony wandered over to stand behind the tech at a computer that seemed to be showing the inside of a building. Although, it looked more like something a contractor or architect would have on their plans. As his eyes roamed the monitors in front of him, Tony noticed the name of a museum that he hadn’t thought of since he was 9, just before his mother, Claire his mind corrected, died. From the sounds of the conversation, the five groups of three red dots closing in on the green dot were bad guys closing in on one if MI6’s agents.

While Tony obviously had never been on a mission of this nature, some things were the same no matter who you worked for. Because of this, he knew that if the green dot kept following the instructions of the obviously nervous and frightened tech person who was growing even more obviously frustrated the MI6 agent wasn’t going to make it out alive. Not able to stand it any longer, and unwilling to stand around and listen to incompetent instructions that would lead a most likely good man to his death, Tony stopped thinking so much and plucked the headset of the now startled tech’s head. One of Tony’s favorite frat brothers had been a fan of the saying “Go big or go home”, and Tony was pretty sure there was no moment that it fit better than this.

“Good afternoon, mysterious person on the other end of this conversation,” Tony began ensuring that there was nothing more than a smile and confidence in his voice. “I do apologize, but I am taking over this conversation from whomever you were talking to. I am sure he is very good at something, but having been in your shoes, I thought it best that someone takes over who is a little more familiar with the building you are in. I will be honest and say you’re in a heap of shit, but I am very confident that I can get you out of this unscathed if you just follow my instructions that while they may not make much sense at times will get you back to England alive. My name is Tony, and I will be your very special handler this afternoon.”

“That’s an accent that I haven’t heard in quite some time,” the man on the other end said smoothly, but Tony could pick out the aggravation in what he guessed was a Missouri drawl. “I doubt that you could do much worse. Can you tell me how many I am dealing with? The person I was just speaking with was unwilling to give me numbers. Feel free to call me 002.”

Tony gave a grunt of disgust before putting his hand over the mic as he looked around at the people staring at him. HE noticed briefly that Ashcroft was standing outside of an office door watching him but was unsure how to interpret the expression on his face and thus pushed it away for the time being. “I need someone over here that can work this computer for me please and thank you! 002 and I would be most grateful for the assistance.”

Quickly a young woman slipped into the seat after Edward took the former tech away. The woman who reminded him of Amara Karan grinned at him and asked what he needed first.

“Can I get a view on one of these screens that shows the actual inside of the museum? I am familiar enough with the building he’s in that I can navigate him to where he needs to be if I can actually see the room. And, also, is this over here on the left the outside of the building?”

Quickly, the woman who introduced herself as Jasmine brought up the requested view advising that it was from a cam that was connected to 002’s glasses and confirmed the image Tony was looking at was the outside of the building.

“Ok, 002, here’s where we’re at. You have five groups of three closing in on your location inside of the building. That is the bad news. The worse news is that the local Polizia have the building surrounded and I guarantee you that they will shoot first. They are most likely working with the men inside the building. The good news is that there is a way out of the building that most don’t know about. Before we can get you out though we need to grab something to use as a thank you gift. So, if you look to the tapestry there to your right, I believe that there is an employee entrance behind it. Jasmine, can you hack into that thing so he can get through without the card?”

Smiling, Jasmine nodded and quickly unlocked the door allowing 002 to slip through. Easily, Tony led the MI6 agent down to the records room where the museum displayed old books and other important papers. “OK, see that book there in the display case in the middle of the room? I need you to nab that. You’ll need something to carry it in so you might take the leather bag hanging with it to put it in.  You aren’t going to get out of this town without a little help. Fortunately, my lovely assistant leading us both through the dark tells me that the bad dudes are from out of town or we’re be extra screwed. Say, are you the slick and suave type, the bashing in heads with your brawn type, or the bookish sort?”

“I am afraid I am the latter of the options,” 002 offered as Tony heard a gun go off and glass shatter.

“Most excellent!” Tony offered enthused as he watched the book be slipped into the bag and then the leather satchel put over the agent’s neck. Tony then guided him back into the employee halls and navigated him down to what would have once been the old building’s dungeon. “Ok, so this town was built on a series of tunnels from the old castle you are escaping from now. Some of the older residents in town have entrances from the tunnels. Most of them were former servant or knights’ quarters. The original Lord who owned the castle wanted a way for his people to get their families safely into the castle in case of siege without being seen. Now, they’ll probably have someone at the exits that do not go into private residents, but that’s ok. We don’t need one of those.”

“It sounds like you have done this before,” 002 offered and Tony forced himself not to shift uncomfortably.

“Something like that,” Tony finally admitted in between directions to get the agent to the correct area in the dungeon. “Now I am going to assume that they’re gonna know you’re opening this exit somehow. They might or might not, but I am going to assume the worst. So, once you are in the tunnels, I need you to haul ass, but keep in mind it has been a very long time since I was there, and I have never had to give directions. So, I apologize now for any backtracking needed or sudden stops requested.”

“My life is yours, Tony,” The agent said solemnly as they both studied a stone wall in front of the MI6 agent. “I have no doubt at all that I have a much better shot of surviving this than I did previously, of which I am entirely grateful. I trust you.”

“Thanks, man,” Tony said almost absentmindedly as he looked at the wall frowning as he didn’t see what he was looking for. “We’ll have to go for a beer after this is all said and done. Hey, can you look down? I was like 9ish when I did this last and I was pretty damned short for my age, so I think what I am looking for is much closer to the floor. Oh, go back! Yeah, see that stone that is rounded on the edges and has the picture of a lily and a rose twined together? Push that in and then turn it and a door will slide open. Once you’re on the other side there should be a lever that you can use to close the door if I remember correctly.”

After 002 opened the door, slipped through, and the closed it again, Tony gave directions through the labyrinth of tunnels trying to keep an eye on the doors as the agent ran past them. “Oh! Stop! There it is! Go back to the red door with the shield on it with the same lily and rose design between a stag and a wolf. Now, there are some very serious rules here, and while I understand you’re a pro at this I wanna make sure things don’t go to shit at the last second. You are not going to see or hear or remember anything in this residence. You use no proper names and don’t ask for any proper names.  You don’t ask questions and don’t even know how to ask a question. You don’t speak Italian and the only accent they better hear is that lovely Missouri twang of yours. You are not sleek and suave or professional anything. You are a helpless bumbling moron who stumbled upon the tunnels and got lost.

“When the door is answered you are going to ask for The Nonna, and yes that is a capital T capitol N you hear. That is as close to a name as you’re gonna get. Do not burn this or I am gonna be pissed. I like breathing. Now, knock on the door like a good little agent and ask to speak with The Nonna. Tell whomever answers, and I am guessing it will be a man, that you got lost in the tunnels and the liar’s son suggested that she would be able to give you safe passage. If things go as planned, you’ll be out of there within an hour tops. I don’t know where you will be sent, but I am sure my lovely assistant can help you get home from there once she gets you out of Italy. My first guess is that you will end up in a coastal town either in Spain or Greece, but that’s a guess on my part based on really outdated information. When The Nonna comes, give her the satchel and advise her it’s a gift of thanks for her present and past assistance. Say, just out of curiosity, did you get or do whatever you were sent there to get or do?”

“I did,” 002 offered smoothly. “You can advise Q that I have the package.”

“Good man!” Tony praised and then stopped talking at that point because the door was opened in an answer of 002’s knock. It was a pretty tense roughly 45 minutes as they waited to see if the agent would get out of the house, but when she offered 002 a nod and an almost smile, Tony gave a sigh of relief. Once the MI6 agent was on the boat headed out of Italy, Tony turned the headset over to Jasmine to give the agent his exit plans from Spain as it appeared that was where he was going to end up.

Once things were over, he let out a sigh of relief before the reality of what he’d done hit him. Turning, his eyes located Q, who was still standing outside of his office watching. When their eyes locked, Tony’s young cousin arched an eyebrow at him. “If you could join me in my office, I would appreciate it,” Q called out and Tony winced knowing it was never a good thing getting called to the principal’s office. “008 if you would accompany him, I would appreciate it.

Everyone else, I do believe I have tasks assigned you tasks that you should be working on. Now gentlemen.”

Feeling the weight of a hand on his shoulder, Tony turned his head to look to his older cousin, and it was only the wink the other man offered that let him relax.

Tony strenuously hoped that it meant he was not being led to his execution. TJ was way too young to be an orphan.

Tony followed Edward up into Q’s office and took a seat in front of his cousin’s desk wondering who the man was standing in the corner behind the desk that he didn’t know. “Do I want to know who just assisted us?” Q asked and Tony winced slightly knowing the facts probably wouldn’t go over well.

“Probably not,” he admitted honestly with a soft sigh before Tony straightened in the chair and turned his brain to debrief mode to treat it like any other case. “At the time though, I didn’t see any other options. I’m familiar enough with the area to know that your agent didn’t have much time left, and I felt like I had to react.”

“Let’s get into that, shall we?” The unknown man asked, and Tony tilted his head to one side slightly as he studied him. His eyes then traveled to Edward first and then to Q in silent question. While the American knew that he’d have to answer questions about what he did and why he wasn’t doing it without knowing who was asking the questions.

“Anthony, meet Richard Grimm,” Q introduced, “he is the assistant to Bill Tanner our chief of staff and helps to oversee the agents.” When Tony glared at him for the slip, Q held up a hand in apology. “My apologies, Tony. I am trying to remember your distaste for your given name. Please, tell us why you took over the situation with 002.”

“Because no agent in the field should who has found himself or herself in a life-threatening situation should have to hear their only connection to survival ready to piss himself from fear because he obviously has no idea what the fuck to do. Whoever decided that kid was ready to handle missions needs fired. I’ve been in that situation, and I was certainly not going to stand by and listen to someone die due to incompetence.”

“Clarence has proven himself ready to handle the stressors of handling one of our 00 missions. His scores on the simulations were exemplary.” Richard argued stiffly from his spot behind Q. “Not that it is any of your business as you do not yet work here, and after today I would have to question your suitability for this organization. They obviously have much less regard for policy and standards in America.”

“And they obviously have much less regard for common sense and the mental health and welfare of their agents at MI6,” Tony snapped back angrily. “If you are an example of the kind of bullshit disregard this organization has for its agents then I can honestly say I would rather take a spot with Mossad than work for this place. Since there’s a good chance that Eli David is my actual arch nemesis, that should give you some indication of how I feel about your thoughts my suitability to do anything. Especially considering it’s blatantly obvious that you’ve never done anything riskier than choosing the medium spicy curry instead of the mild.”

“How dare you,” Richard started as Edward coughed suspiciously in the seat beside Tony that he’d moved to at some point during Tony’s rant.

“Richard,” Q interrupted sharply shooting a glare over his shoulder, “please do shut up, and kindly remember that you are here to observe only. I would hate to file another complaint with William about you.”

When Q turned his attention back to Tony, the former NCIS agent didn’t bother to try and hide his contempt for the situation. He was done working for assholes who had no care for his safety and well-being or that of the agents around him. He certainly was not going to jump from the kettle into the fire. If this situation was the standard for MI6 and not an anomaly then there was zero chance that he would accept a job there, family connection or no.

“Let me guess, Clarence is either related to Richard or a friend of his?” Tony guessed directing his question to Q and ignoring the sputtering man in the corner.

“Clarence is Richard’s nephew,” Edward practically purred from his seat, “and I believe that the last mission he was on the agent almost died because he panicked and couldn’t remember the backup exit plan. Richard covered for him and marked it down as an agent error saying that the agent shouldn’t have needed Clarence to remind him of what to do next.”

“That agent,” Richard started hotly only to be interrupted by Q once more as the door opened. Turning his head, Tony saw a man walk in with a phone to his ear.

“That’s quite enough out of you, Richard,” the newcomer said calmly appearing to end the call and put the device in his pocket. Tony looked back to the desk just in time to see Q’s phone flash that a call had ended as his cousin smirked almost gleefully. “Apparently our previous discussion on you staying out of situations that do not involve you didn’t take. I suggest you head to Marianne in HR. She has some paperwork to go over with you.”

“What paperwork?” Richard demanded, crossing his arms over his chest angrily. “My father…”

“Is very much aware of the current situation and is quite eager to have a discussion with you himself,” the unknown man inserted as his voice took on a sharp edge. “He was quite upset to hear that my version of recent events did not fit those that he had been given previously. He was certainly dismayed to hear that Clarence had been forced into the position that he is currently in.

“According to your father the boy doesn’t have the disposition for such a position, and he was puzzled as to why he would voluntarily try for something as stressful as a handler position when the boy knows he isn’t suited for it. His impression was that Clarence would be getting a data gathering position of some sorts, which he would be much better suited for and your father felt he would excel at. It’s my hope that Q can salvage the situation, or I should say both situations. I am afraid that your aspirations will not be met with this agency. Please do head up to Marianne at this time, Richard. I would hate to have to have Edward escort you. Being Mr. Bond’s cousin, I am sure he would be quite pleased to find himself alone with you for a few moments in an elevator that has no recording equipment.”

“Yes, quite,” Edward purred darkly again, and Tony didn’t even try and hide his snort of amusement as Richard hightailed it out of the office, nearly knocking down the new guy in his effort to get away from Edward.

Once the door was shut, Tony turned his attention to the newcomer who perched himself on the corner of Q’s desk and held out a hand. “Bill Tanner. It is nice to meet you, Mr. Bond. I do apologize for that, and I thank you for handling the situation with Thomas and getting him out alive. He’s one of our most valuable assets and handles certain types of cases that we don’t have anyone else to fill at the moment.”

“Thomas is 002?” Tony clarified as he held out his hand to shake Bill’s, “and please call me Tony. I’m not really used to thinking of myself as Mr. Bond, yet. I’m glad I was nearby to help out. Does this mean that uhh Clarence shouldn’t have been handling the mission? Cause I have to say that it didn’t seem like he had any business doing so. I can’t see that kid having the amount or type of field experience I would think would be needed for that kind of position.”

“Well, no, Clarence should never have been assigned to be a mission handler,” Bill confirmed with a sigh, “but Richard kept forcing Q’s hand. Q had intended to monitor 002’s mission today so that he could step in, but unfortunately, another more pressing situation came up and he had to help another of our in-field agents. Most of our handlers at this time are various Q branch techs that have shown themselves capable of handling those situations. From the sounds of it though it seems you don’t agree that should be taking place?”

“Handling actual go time mission situations, no,” Tony said frankly and gratefully accepted the bottle of water that Q passed to him from across the desk. “Handling the in-between time moments that every mission has where there needs to be someone listening or ready to listen should something come up? Sure. Having been on the other side of that fiasco today, I can tell you that there’s a huge difference between dealing with a handler who has been in your shoes and one who’s never seen anything more life-threatening than their Call of Duty gaming time.

“Simulations aren’t real life, and when the people dying are real living, breathing humans it makes a difference. Every agency has field operatives that aren’t qualified for field experience any longer but aren’t ready to retire. Those agents are the perfect people to handle actual go time mission scenarios. In my opinion, it’s a lot less life-threatening to train a field operative how to handle new software than it is to put someone’s life in the hands of a person who has no experience in actual life and death situations. I proposed a similar change at NCIS, and Director Vance had just announced the change and the new training slots before I left.”

“And this Nonna person?” Bill prompted, shifting the conversation. “How worried should we be about Thomas having to overlook illegal activity that he was witness to or overheard.”

“Slim to none,” Tony assured with a smile. “Nonna DeFalco didn’t make it this far by letting the wrong people see or overhear things they shouldn’t.”

“The Nonna,” Bill started but stopped dumbfounded as Q leaned forward.

“Thomas was in Nonna DeFalco’s home?” Q inquired incredulously, “you have a connection to Nonna DeFalco?”

“I think a connection is overstating things,” Tony protested with a smile and a shrug, “but yes, that was the Nonna DeFalco.”

“Surely you knew that you were in her territory. Hell, the museum is practically part of her home base.”

“I need you to explain more thoroughly,” Q insisted as Tanner watched quietly, “and quickly, as to how you have an association with a woman every major intelligence agency has tried to bring down for decades.”

“She saved me,” Tony offered quietly with a sigh and wished that Alec was there. “The summer before my mother, before Claire died, Senior got this job authenticating some new pieces of artwork at the museum there. The DeFalco’s and the DiNozzo’s had a long history of working closely together, and at the time Senior still had enough reputable reputation left that he was considered a decent selection for the job. The museum has always been run by a member of the DeFalco family, and they preferred someone that they trusted and probably could manipulate to say what they wanted to handle the authentication. Senior has never let something as minor as the truth gets in the way of making a buck, so it was a win-win situation. So, Claire and I spent weeks exploring the town and wandering through the museum. Some days she didn’t feel like going or didn’t want to deal with me, and Senior would take me with him and leave me to wander through the museum on my own. That’s how I initially met her.

“The book that 002 took as payment belongs to her family, and she would come and stare at it through the display case several times a week. I don’t really know why the museum had it and why she couldn’t get it back, but she didn’t like that they had it but for some reason couldn’t get it herself. One day I got bored looking through the exhibits and was wandering through the employee-only area in the dungeons where Senior was working and found the secret exit that I had 002 use. I’ve always been curious and didn’t think it anything more than an opportunity for adventure when the door opened. So, I went through and started exploring the tunnels, but eventually, I got thirsty and needed to pee. It was at that point that I realized that I didn’t know where I was. I remember crying and being frightened and knew that Senior was gonna beat the shit out of me because I’d gotten myself into trouble when all of a sudden Nonna appeared. Since I’d seen her so much at the museum she didn’t seem like a stranger, so when she held out her hand, I just went with her.”

Tony paused and took a long drink from the water bottle remembering how frantic Claire was when she came through the door of the kitchen that he’d been sitting in helping cut up vegetables for the salad they were going to have at lunch. As hurt and as confused as he was about the whole situation with her adopting him and them leaving James behind, it was hard to get past the fact that Claire at least had genuinely loved him, even if she had sometimes been crappy at showing it or remembering it. Or, maybe it was just that the reality of Senior wore her down enough that some days she just didn’t have the strength to be strong anymore. Tony certainly knew how the man he’d previously thought was his father could tear down and wear down someone.

“It was several days, maybe even as much as a week before Claire came and got me. Nonna was never anything but nice to me and treated me as if I was one of her own grandchildren. I kept waiting for Senior to appear and punish me, but I didn’t see him again until a few months later. Before she died, mom told me that Nonna threatened to come after him if he hurt me for what she called his lack of parenting. Something happened beyond me getting lost, and because of it, she wasn’t his favorite person anyway.

“Before I left her house though, Nonna told me that if I should ever need anything again to just make sure she knew I was the liar’s son and she’d be happy to do what she could. I know that she’s wanted all around the world. If you wait though until she dies, you’ll be able to bring down her whole organization easily. Unless things have changed and someone new has come in, none of her sons have the head to take over something like that. They’ll be easy pickings.”

“Do you have connections to any other major crime family?” Tanner asked dryly, and Tony huffed at his cousins’ obvious amusement.

“Well, there is the Malcuso crime family in Philadelphia,” Tony offered with a grin and a shrug. “The old man’s still alive last I heard, but as long as I don’t go there, I’m good. That one was an undercover gig, and I am quite happy to never see the city of Philadelphia, again.”

Tanner let loose a sigh as Q didn’t quite fully hide his snicker in his mug of tea. “You’re going to be as big of a pain in my arse as your brother, aren’t you?”

“I mean, I would like to protest,” Tony started slouching down in his chair slightly to get more comfortable, “but if the future is anything like the past, probably so.”

“Trouble seems to find me no matter how hard I try. Does this mean I have a job?”

“If you will have us,” Bill allowed offering something close to a smile of his own. “I believe Q has a position that you would be perfect for. I know that M is quite anxious to get you on board before MI5 gets their claws and steals you from him. Welcome to MI6, Mr. Bond. All I ask is that you are less of a pain in my arsehole than your older brother is and don’t interrupt my sleep and will get along just fine.”

“I’ll do my best, sir,” Tony laughed as he shook Tanner’s hand once more, “I make no promises though.”

“Some things are just what they are.”

“God help us all,” Tanner swore as he stood and left. Tony presumed to tell this M person about his hire. The rest of the day was spent going over how things currently worked in Q-Branch, what his duties would be, and brainstorming with Edward and Alec on the new handler requirements.

When Q offered to babysit his young cousin that evening so that Tony and Alec could go out and celebrate, the father accepted happily. Life in London was only getting better and better in Tony’s mind. Now all he needed was for James to come home so that Tony could finally meet his brother and things would be perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I write fanfiction for fun. It's a hobby and a stress relief. I refuse to stress over my writing. What you see is what you get. Errors, plot holes, and all. Thank you for reading my story!


	5. Bond Brothers Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James finally returns and meets his brother.

Banner by DarkJediQueen

 

# Chapter Four: Bond Brothers Reunited

 

 

Tony was standing in Q Branch preparing to oversee a mission one of his probie handlers would be leading for 005. Alec and his third probie a newly retired agent from MI5 named Harrison were nearby observing. The young blond had been injured in the field and unfortunately, there were lasting consequences that would prevent him from doing field work again. However, both Q and the Director of MI5 thought Harrison would make a perfect candidate for Tony’s new department.

Everything was still in the group stages of learning, and Tony thought there would be at least one more mission for each probie in the group before Tony felt comfortable in letting them try things on their own. The former NCIS agent had been part of MI6 for almost a month at that point and had been in London for almost two. Things were betting to slow down, and routines were beginning to be automatic instead of things Tony had to think of, for which he was grateful.

Alec applying for one of the new Handler positions was unexpected but something Tony was grateful for nonetheless, even if it did create a couple logistic headaches for the new process. As much as Tony had been willing to spend weeks and months without his partner while the agent was out on a mission, the new MI6 employee was glad that he didn’t have to. He was also glad that he’d never have to explain to TJ why Alec was never coming home because he’d gotten killed in another country while trying to save the world.

Fighting the impulse to turn and make sure that Alec was still standing somewhere behind him, Tony was about to tell Ursula that she could begin her mission with 005 when movement on the walkway above them to the left caught his attention. Distracted, he turned his head to see who had come into Q branch and immediately forgot how to breathe. After all this time, after nearly two months of waiting, his brother was finally there in person. As Tony watched, James strode along the path from the secured entrance to Q Branch to Q’s office with one hand in the pocket of his impeccably made suit pants and a grin on his face.

Tony wanted to call out. He wanted the older man to look over and see him. He wanted a lot of things, but for once he was frozen in place, and all he could do was watch his older brother as he slid into the office without so much as a knock. The glass door and walls turning white removed the MI6 agent from Tony’s sight and there was no force on earth that could have held in the wounded sound from escaping Tony’s lips.

James was back.

 

~*~~*~ ~*~~*~ ~*~~*~

 

Ashcroft heard the door to his office open and then immediately shut but didn’t look up. He didn’t need to smell the scent of the cologne that Bond loved to wear when he was at home to know his lover had finally returned. The second the man entered the building Q had known thanks to the alerts he’d set up whenever James passed through certain checkpoints, or his biometrics opened certain secured doors. It might be a tad bit stalkerish, but Ash had found that when it came to his sneaky lover, all really was fair in love and war.

Q had hoped that Tony and his probies would be neck deep in their mission with 005 before James entered Q branch. Ashcroft had considered warning his cousin or going out to meet James, but he was afraid of causing a public spectacle. In Q’s opinion, the last thing the Bond brothers needed was for their family reunion to happen in front of the mass of gossipy prats that made up Q’s minions.

So, instead, he’d waited for James to come to him, and hoped that there would be no hiccups. A quick glance through the glass walls that made up his office told Ashcroft that James’ entrance hadn’t gone unnoticed by his younger brother. With a sigh and a few keystrokes, Ashcroft enabled the security measures that would allow himself and James some privacy for the discussion that was about to take place. Ash trusted Alec to see to it that Tony was comforted and calmed down by the time that Q had finished filling in his boyfriend. So, pushing Tony from his mind for the moment, Ashcroft turned his attention to Bond and the discussion that needed to happen.

“I see that you’ve remembered where MI6 is,” Q started out dryly, ignoring James’ smirk of amusement, “how very kind of you, 007.”

“You know how it is, Q,” James began as he slid into a chair and made himself comfortable, “one must on occasion stop and smell the roses.”

“Hmm, I see,” Q returned as he took his glasses off to polish them quickly before slipping them back onto his face, “and this took nearly a bloody month?”

“Did it occur to you that possibly you were needed back here? I thought we agreed that you were no longer going to give into these bloody disappearing acts of yours?”

“What can I say?” James asked, smirk still firmly in place, “I was bored.”

“You know how boring I find those information-gathering missions,” James whined, and Q fought the urge to roll his eyes, “It’s your fault for not giving me something more exciting to do.”

Ashcroft narrowed his eyes but stayed silent until his ire was under control. Knowing what was coming, the last thing he wanted to do was to get into a fight with Bond and have the man storm off without finding out his missing brother had been located.

“We needed you,” Q observed calmly, “we needed you here in London, and because you decided to take a bloody holiday, we’ve had to wait nearly a month.”

“You must not have needed me too awfully badly, Q,” James pointed out, obviously not repentant in the least, “things are still standing.”

“You haven’t even blown up the place again. So, it would seem as if you managed without me.”

“The reasons you were needed were more personal and less MI6, James,” Q snapped before forcing himself to be calm again.

“What could you possibly need me for that is personal?” James asked confused, “is your mother alright?”

“Yes, she’s fine,” Q assured and knew he needed to just rip off the plaster, or band-aid as the Americans would say. “It wasn’t about me, James. Why have you never mentioned to me that you have a younger brother? It’s not in any of your files with us. The official or an unofficial one. I know because I verified it myself.”  Ashcroft knew by the way James froze and his features practically turned to stone that he had about half a minute before his boyfriend either stormed out and disappeared again. “Did you know that Alec has been mostly seeing someone for about two years now?”

“What?” James snapped, shaking his head at the sudden subject change with a scowl on his face. “Q, how did you…”

“Please, James,” Ashcroft said softly as he stood and moved around the desk to perch in front of James where the older man would be within reach. “I am asking you not to take off and just hear me out. I would not bring up your brother without a very good reason. I know it seems like I’m jumping subjects, but I have a good reason. So, I ask again, did you know Alec has been seeing someone?”

The office was so quiet that Q could almost hear James’ teeth grinding together as his partner tried to decide what to do. There were a couple flares of pain and anger that flashed across the blond’s face quickly, but the fact that Q could see them all spoke to how shaken the older man was. When he finally spoke, it sounded as if the words were being dragged from him against his will.

“No, I was not aware that he’d been seeing someone. When the bloody hell as he had time to find himself a boyfriend?”

“Apparently, they met when Alec went on that holiday after he hurt his foot on that mission in Russia and had to take several months off. It seems the gentleman came here to London to see him some months later. They’ve mostly been communicating via email since then and put any relationship on hold because the other man is an American and at the time couldn’t leave his job. Nearly two months back, it seems he showed up at the flat that Alec uses when he’s going to be in London for a longer bit of time. Uncle George ordered Edward and me to go see Alec the next day and was quite mysterious about it. We were both quite surprised to find out that this mysterious boyfriend was actually our American cousin Anthony, my deceased Aunt Claire’s son. It seems that he got some unexpected news that shook him up, and he decided that some life changes were necessary. Amongst them was a commitment to a relationship with Alec. Needless to say, 006 is quite happy about the whole affair. Anthony has a son named TJ, who is quite the adorable child.”

“Q, what in the bloody hell does any of this have to do with…”

“My father apparently put directions in his estate to have a letter from Aunt Claire sent to Anthony upon father’s death,” Q barreled on knowing his time with James being patient was running out. “In it, she confessed that not only is Anthony not either her or that wrestle of a husband of hers’ son, but that she had adopted him after her best friend and the woman’s husband died. It seems that the couple actually had two children, but the husband didn’t want the older child because he felt he wouldn’t be moldable enough.”

“Q, stop,” James ordered as he stood and started to storm toward the door.

“He’s here in Q branch leading a mission!” Ashcroft blurted out causing James to freeze again. He ached to go and throw his arms around the man he loved. Ash couldn’t imagine what was going through Bond at the moment but thought it must be something like having all of your walls not just broken down but exploded violently. “You probably passed him on your way to my office. He’s taken a position here in Q branch and has already made a change as to whom we allow to handle the missions. He has a beautiful son that has your blond hair and blue eyes. Tony confessed he always assumed that the blue eyes were from the mother’s family. He said that when he was a small child, he had hair as light as TJ’s but didn’t know of any blue eyes in his family. He’s here, James. Your brother is here. He’s come back to you. James?”

All the answer Q got was to watch his lover turn and sink to the ground with his head in his hands and his back to the door. While Ashcroft couldn’t see his face, he wasn’t sure he needed to. What he could see spoke volumes enough.

 

~*~~*~ ~*~~*~ ~*~~*~

 

Tony was vaguely aware of Alec ordering Harrison and Ursula to work together on 005’s mission before the older man led them toward the office Tony had been given within the Q branch. The next thing the father found himself conscious of was sitting on the couch in his office with a bottle of water in his hands, and Alec kneeling in front of him looking concerned.

One of the first things Tony had done once gaining full access to MI6’s systems was to look up James so that he could see what his brother looked like. At first Tony was heartbroken to find out that he and James looked almost nothing alike. It was Alec who pointed out that while Tony didn’t look like James, TJ was nearly a mini-clone of Tony’s older brother, which made the former NCIS agent feel much better.

Tony had tried not to pester Q about how long James’ mission was going to last, but about a week after he started, Tony found himself pulled into his cousin’s office. There it was explained to him that his older brother had a habit of disappearing after missions and would eventually return. Unfortunately, they had no way of knowing when or where he was to contact him to come home sooner. Since then, Tony had been trying not to think too much about the whole situation or what he would do once James finally returned.

Because of it, Tony now found himself somewhat unprepared for the whole situation and panicking.

“What if he hates me?” Tony asked softly and looked up when he felt Alec wrap their hands together. “What if he doesn’t believe that I didn’t know? What if he doesn’t want to have anything to do with me? What if he’s mad that I took you out of the field? I don’t… What if he hates me, Alec? I’ve fucking never been enough for anyone. What if I’m not enough for him either?”

“You’re enough for me,” Alec pointed out softly as he began to rub his thumbs over Tony’s knuckles. “You’ve always been enough from me. Since the very first day, I met you. You’re enough for TJ. Even Edward and Ashcroft are fond of you and you’ve already won over a good chunk of the bloody minions and they’re prickly to anyone who isn’t Q. As for the rest…

“All he has to do is read the letters to know that you weren’t aware he didn’t know. I can’t imagine him not wanting to have anything to do with you. I know for a fact that James has always longed to have a family. He’s said as much enough when he’s too far into his cups. You didn’t take me from anything. You didn’t even offer me the position. M did because he knew I told him after I came back from the last mission that I wasn’t sure I could do it any longer. My original plan was to retire and come find you, but luckily you beat me to it. There’s no bloody way James will hate you. You’re amazing, and all he’s going to care about is that you’ve come back to him.”

“You were going to come to find me,” Tony said softly, his lips quirking into a half smile.

“I was,” Alec confirmed with a nod. “I can’t imagine what I’d do though in America with that joke of an excuse you people call football and the whole driving on the wrong side of the road. So, I am grateful that you beat me to it. I’m not sure I would have survived in that chaos.”

Tony snorted and leaned forward to capture Alec’s lips in a quick peck. “I need him to not hate me.”

“He isn’t going to hate you,” Alec repeated as moved to sit next to Tony on the couch and then pressed their foreheads together. “You have my word. I know James as well as anyone on the planet outside of Q maybe. He’s going to adore you and be horribly overprotective of both you and the Poppet. Just you wait and see.”

“I hope you’re right,” Tony murmured and squirmed until he was stretched out with his head on Alec’s shoulder as they waited for whatever was going on in Q’s office to be done.

 

~*~~*~ ~*~~*~ ~*~~*~

 

“James?”

Coming out of his fog of panic and decades-old anguish, James lifted his head to see Q knelt down in front of him. “How certain are you, Q? Don’t say he’s back if you aren’t completely sure it’s him.”

“We ran DNA tests, James,” Q rushed on to assure. “In addition to the letter, which came from father’s lawyer, we ran DNA tests on you and Anthony, err Tony. He quite hates being called Anthony. He’s considering changing his name again to Tony Daniel Bond instead of Anthony Daniel Bond.”

“His, Daniel?” James started questioning feeling his heart pinch, and Q nodded frowning.

“Yes, he said that he has always just had a middle initial of D, but when he had his last name legally changed in America from DiNozzo to Bond he chose Daniel for his middle name since that is what Claire said his real middle name was.”

“It was,” James started, but had to stop to swallow the thick ball of emotion clogging his throat. “That was what Mother and Father named him. Daniel Philip Bond. He was named after father’s grandfather. He, you said that he has a son?”

Q nodded fast and getting up darted to his desk where he retrieved his phone before scurrying back. When Ashcroft thrust it in James’ hands, the MI6 agent found himself looking at a light brown-haired man that he vaguely remembered seeing in Q branch as he strolled through. With the man was a young boy who couldn’t be more than 3, who had blond curls and laughing blue eyes. The child looked so much like the pictures James had seen of himself at that age that it was a little hard to believe. “Jesus, he looks nearly exactly like me. The boy that is. The child looks almost exactly as I did at that age.”

Q hummed as he slid to press against James’ side, and automatically the 00 put his arm around the younger man’s shoulders. “There are several pictures in there of them if you want to look at some more,” Q prompted, and James quickly took him up on it pausing only when he got to a picture of Tony alone standing at the windows in Alec’s flat looking quiet and contemplative. James imagined that he must have a whole world’s worth of thoughts rushing through his mind. Heaven knows he had seen the expression on his own face in the mirror enough times to recognize it.

“He looks like mother’s father,” James pointed out staring at the picture of Tony, making the image bigger until his younger brother’s face filled the screen. “Or at least what I remember from pictures. I think that Kinkade has some albums at Skyfall we’ll have to look at. Did you say that the woman who adopted him died? What about the husband?”

“Hmm, yes, Aunt Claire died just after I was born,” Ashcroft confirmed and frowned thinking about Anthony Senior. “Unfortunately, that scoundrel of a father of his is still alive, although I can assure you that he will not remain free much longer if I have any say over the matter.”

“Do I want to know?” James asked amused as he felt himself relaxing.

“Probably not just yet,” Q warned frankly with a shrug, “just know that I am on top of the matter as always, and I will let you know when you can enact your revenge.”

“You’re a bloodthirsty boffin,” James murmured happily as he pressed his lips into the younger man’s hair. “Did I see Alec in Q branch? I would have thought they’d have him out on a mission by now.”

“Alec has accepted a new position within MI6, and you will not give him grief about it, James,” Ashcroft warned, and James quirked an eyebrow at him in question.

“Oh, won’t I?”

“Not if you ever want to receive a working gun, 007,” Q warned, very much the quartermaster again, even though the two of them were still snuggled up together on the floor. “Alec us happier than I believe I have ever seen him. M himself offered Alec the position, and 006 had already told him weeks earlier, before Tony was even in London, that he wasn’t sure he wanted to continue field work.”

“He’s been making noise about it,” James admitted frowning, “I didn’t think he was serious about it though.”

“He’ll still retain his 00 status, just in case we need him on occasion,” Q admitted pulling away slightly, and James turned to look at the younger man. “He really wants this, James. He’s very attached to Tony and TJ. So much so that I don’t know how none of us realized there was something going on. Even Edward says he had no idea.”

“If he’s serious about it then he won’t get any grief from me,” James promised sincerely. “Alec deserves to be happy. Don’t expect me to rush headlong into retirement though. I would go out of my bloody mind with boredom.”

“Hmm, quite,” Ashcroft acknowledged as he stood up. “What say you we go to Anth… Tony’s office? I am sure that Alec has taken him in there by now. Hopefully, the two of them aren’t bloody shagging on the couch.”

James snickered at the thought and stood to follow Q out of the office. It seemed that James and his little brother had at least one thing in common and couldn’t resist a glance back at the desk that James had shagged Q across on more than one occasion. Office liaisons were possibly one of James’ favorite things ever. It was nice to know that he and his brother would have things in common.

 

~*~~*~ ~*~~*~ ~*~~*~

 

When the door to his office opened, Tony immediately stood. When he saw James standing behind Ashcroft though he froze as he watched his cousin and boss enter with his brother following closely behind. Thankfully, like Ashcroft’s office, Tony’s was quite spacious, but unlike Ash’s its walls were not glass, as he had several monitors covering them so that he could follow whatever missions were going on at the moment. The last thing he wanted was for this moment to be observed by all of Q Branch.

Rarely in his life had Tony been at a loss for words, but as he watched his older brother, Tony had no idea what to say or do at that moment. Fortunately, it seemed James knew exactly what to do. Because after muttering a soft, “fuck me,” the blond stepped around Q and quickly pulled Tony into his arms.

“It’s really you,” James murmured, and Tony nodded as he squeezed his eyes shut tight enough that he could see stars in the blackness.

“James,” he shoved out with difficulty as his hands clenched the back of James’ suit coat.

“All I’ve ever wanted was to have you back,” James growled into Tony’s ear and the younger man shuddered. “But they hid you, and I couldn’t find out who took you. The records were just gone, and I didn’t know where to look. Figures Alec would find you first, the bastard.”

Tony let out a surprised bark of laughter through the tears that he was not admitting t. “Yeah, that’s totally an Alec move.”

“Hey!” The man in question protected with a quickly followed sound of oof.

“Do hush, 006. Can you not see they are having a moment?” Q offered and Tony snickered again but tightened his arms around James when the older man went to pull back.

“Not yet,” Tony whispered softly and thickly as he closed his eyes again. “I’m not ready yet. Can we just… Can I just have a few more minutes? Even though I just recently found out about you, it feels like I’ve been waiting to get you back since the second they tore us apart.”

In lieu of speaking, James just released a shaky breath and settled back into the hug. Eventually, though, the two men pulled apart and spent a few minutes just looking at each other. “I don’t know what to say first,” Tony admitted reluctantly. “I feel like I have a million things to tell you and a million questions I want to ask, but I don’t know where to start first. Are you done here? Can we go back to Alec’s apartment?”

“I am,” James admitted as his eyes shifted briefly to Q. “I have more debriefing to do tomorrow, but for the moment I am done. I was hoping to steal Q away, but that was before I found out you’d come back. Are you… Can you go? I think Q said something about a mission?”

Tony swore and turned to look at Q who seemed unconcerned. “I believe that Harrison and Ursula will be just fine. I am happy to oversee things. I cannot leave at the moment, but I can do what I need to from the floor so that I can monitor their mission. We knew that you would need some time off when James returned and have prepared for this. Tomorrow I will have 002 come in and work with them until you return.”

Tony let loose a sigh of relief and flashed a weak smile at his cousin. “Thanks, Ash. I guess I’m yours then, James. I guess I should have asked if you’d prefer your place over Alec’s? I know you haven’t been there in a bit. TJ and Isla are at the apartment, but I’m sure they’d come to your place or wait if you aren’t ready or…”

“Tony, it’s fine,” James offered, looking amused by his brother’s nervous rambling. “I usually spend more time at Alec’s apartments than I do my own anyway. I would love to meet your son. I honestly don’t care where it is as long as you and I are there together.”

Tony took a calming breath and offered a smile as he ran a nervous hand over the back of his neck. He’d had a month to think about this moment, and yet, now that it was here, he had no clue what to do next.

“Well, let’s go, shall we?” Alec prompted and when Tony felt the touch of his partner on his back, he offered the Brit a grateful smile. Happy to let himself be led and prodded out, Tony left Q Branch with a wave to his Probies knowing Q would explain things and spent the drive to the apartment trying to calm his chaotic mind.

Later that same day, Tony sat on the couch in the apartment living room with James as they watched Alec play cars on the carpet with TJ. “They seem to have connected quickly,” James offered quietly, and Tony turned his attention back to his brother. It was still a little hard to believe that the older man was really there.

“Yeah, I’m grateful that Alec has taken to TJ so fast and TJ to Alec. TJ was one of the reasons why Alec decided to take the Handler position when it opened. He said the last thing he wanted to have something happen to him in the field and he have to explain it to TJ or to have something happen that puts TJ in danger because of his work. It means a lot to me that Alec is taking this whole parenting thing so seriously.”

“Well, he would be an expert on such things,” James pointed out thoughtfully, “his parents and the Paddingtons in some ways did as much for him when he was adopted. I know that he is incredibly thankful and grateful to them. He’s aware that his life could have been much different had he not had their love and attention as a child. He’s a beautiful boy, Tony. We will have to go to Skyfall so that I can show you the albums. He’s got a bit of father in him, I think.”

“I would like that,” Tony admitted easily. “I will have to go see the Paddington’s at some point, but I want us to be on a firmer ground first. I don’t know what is going to happen there, and I want to make sure you know that I am your brother first.”

“I am not worried about the Paddingtons,” James admitted honestly, and Tony lifted an eyebrow surprised. He’d let his brother read the letters from Claire and Clive’s lawyer, and expected James to hold some anger toward the family. “It seems that the ones who are responsible for separating us or keeping us apart are dead. Well except for your adopted father. I know enough of the Paddingtons through Edward to know that they are mostly good people. I don’t wish to start a war with my friend’s family because of the actions of people who are no longer with us. I have you back now, and there’s nothing they can do that will keep us apart any longer. So, that’s all I care about.

“You are here. Soon we’ll all be at Skyfall and we’ll be even more isolated from them until you are ready to see them. And when you are, we’ll do so as a family so that they know they will never be able to come between us again. I wage wars for a living. I have no interest in doing it in my personal life, especially when it isn’t really warranted. What I want now is to show you our home and our parents’ graves. I want to show TJ the highlands and introduce him to Kincade. I want time for us to be a family. I know you’ll want Alec there, and I am fine with that. He’s the best friend I’ve ever had, and he is more my brother than my friend. So, having him there feels right. Isla is TJ’s nanny, and I have no interest in separating the two of them when they’re just forming a bond. She could be responsible for his safety someday, and I would like a chance to make sure she is up to the task for myself. Someday Skyfall will be the boy’s and I want him to understand the importance and the history of the place. More than all of that though, I just want time with you in the safety of our home where you belong. I want to take you home, brother.”

“I’d like that,” Tony admitted softly and reached out to place a hand on James’ shoulder. There were still a million things he wanted to ask and a million more he wanted to know, but they had time now. As James pointed out, not the Paddingtons or anyone else could separate the Bond brothers again.

And, maybe, finally, at Skyfall Tony would find the place that is home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I write fanfiction for fun. It's a hobby and a stress relief. I refuse to stress over my writing. What you see is what you get. Errors, plot holes, and all. Thank you for reading my story!


	6. Answers from the Dead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finally reads Uncle Clive's letter and gets some answers.

Banner by DarkJediQueen

 

# Epilogue: Answers from the Dead

 

 

Tony was sitting in the ruins of a church on the family’s property. As soon as James was fully released from his MI6 debrief the two of them and Alec were given some time off. Eventually, they would make their way to Paddington Castle to square away things there. First, though, James brought them and TJ to the Bond family home called Skyfall located in the highlands of Scotland. It was a beautiful area that Tony fell in love with on sight. He wasn’t sure about the remnants of a helicopter in the front yard, but James said it was a reminder that he wasn’t ready to get rid of yet. Alec had already explained to Tony the bond James had with the former M and that Skyfall was where she died.

In fact, it was in the very church that Tony was sitting that she perished. It wasn’t exactly what drew the American to the ruins that day, but it felt like it was time to read the letter his Uncle Clive had left for him, and somehow, he’d been drawn to the relic from days past pas the perfect place to get some answers. In no way was Tony a religious man, but there was an aura about the building that he found comfortable. So, he currently was perched on a wooden bench trying not to stare at the stain of blood left on the old stone floor that Kincade hadn’t been able to clean away. Taking a deep breath, Tony tore his thoughts away from wondering what the woman who meant so much to James must have been going through in those last moments and opened the letter to find the answers to his own life.

_To My Dear Nephew Tony,_

_If you are reading this then you have given me an opportunity to explain what I did and why. I greatly appreciate your graciousness towards a man who most likely doesn’t deserve your courage and thoughtfulness. There are a number of things that I am not proud of in my life, and my actions toward your mother and then you after her death are at the top of my regrets. Nothing that I say in this letter can excuse what I have done, and know that your absolution is not what I seek. I am aware that is something I did not deserve in life, and death should not change that fact. My son Ashcroft will tell you that I was a good man, and my son Crispin will tell you that I was the very devil himself. I suppose the answer is somewhere in the middle of that, but then you know that or will soon._

_The thing that I want you to understand is that your mother is or was more than just my sibling. She was my best friend. She was my confidant and I hers. She was my co-conspirator and partner in crime. I am sure that at some time she advised you that if you ever get into trouble to seek out George. I am afraid she was not the only one who thought Georgie could solve all problems and expected him to drop everything to offer help when we needed it. Most of the time, when she was in trouble, I was right there next to her, and it was the two of us expecting Georgie to fix everything and make things better again. Your mother and I had a connection that I have never been able to duplicate, not even with my beautiful wife Isabella whom I loved to the end of my days. Bella is aware of the sins that I lay at your feet with this letter and can answer any questions you may have lingering. There was never a time when I kept secrets from her and divulged more than either the Queen or my Country would have liked._

_Your mother was pampered and sheltered as best as Georgie and I could from the ugliness of the world both as children and up until the day that scoundrel Anthony DiNozzo tore her from us. She was a beautiful, kind-hearted woman that was not prepared for someone as ugly as Anthony is on the inside, nor did she have the skills to see through the slimy veneer that he portrayed to rope her into his web of lies and illicit activity._

_When she first met him, I am afraid I stuck my head in the sand and refused to believe that she would let him drag her away from her family. I believed, foolishly now I can see, that her ties to England and the Paddingtons were stronger than his pretty words. By the time I began to listen to what Georgie had been trying to tell me from the very beginning, it was too late. Her mind was made up, and I never in my life met anyone more stubborn than her. Had she not lost Monique, I am not sure I would have been wrong in my original beliefs. However, Moni played a large part in her life, and I am afraid that her death left a hole bigger than I anticipated. Before I could act accordingly, Anthony had already swept in and filled all of the empty places Moni’s death had left._

_I have never been as enraged as I was the night, she announced to me that she and Anthony were leaving for America and taking you with them but leaving James to be raised by his Aunt. I am ashamed to say my rage had nothing to do with her splitting up two brothers, but that it was solely centered around my personal loss and the fact that she was leaving me. I knew that once Anthony had her alone in America that we most likely would never see her again, but she was determined to make the three of you a happy family. Unfortunately, that isn’t what happened, and sometimes I wonder if she ever really believed it would happen, or if she was just too desperate for a love of her own that she jumped on the first offer she got._

_There had been one boy before Anthony, whom she fell head over heels for. A much better match for her I can assure you that Anthony was, but unfortunately, Charles Holmes was already promised to Violet and was too much of a gentleman to break his promise. I don’t think she ever got past her disappointment in that, and she then accepted the next thing that came along, which was Anthony._

_Georgie and I had plans for what we would do if Anthony succeeded in getting her away from England, unfortunately, our careers and my temper got in the way of actually putting any of them into action. After that terrible night when I said things that I could never take back, there was a rift between Claire and I that I knew could never be fixed._

_Georgie tried to change her mind. By the time that he found out however, some many months had passed, and Claire was unwilling to tear you away from the man she called your father. I am afraid that I never admitted the truth of whom you were to anyone in the family, not even my wife, at least not until it was well past the time where we could make a difference. Bella and Olivia even made a trip to America once, determined to bring her and your home with her, but alas they were never even able to lay eyes on either of you. None of us really had the connections at that time to find out where Claire or you were, and Anthony had hidden you all from us very well. It wasn’t until you reached out to us when you were in college that we had a location for either of you._

_I am sure at this point you are asking why I didn’t make things right then. The answer, I am afraid, simply is shame. I was the only one who knew you reached out to us for help, and I am afraid that by that time I had become an angry bitter man and took my frustrations out on a man who was still little more than a boy. When Claire died it left a hole inside of me that I was never able to heal. The pain and the longing for her are something that I carry with me even now as I write this letter. The only thing I am looking forward to now that my end has come is finally being reunited with my sister if I have not made too much of a mess of things while living._

_I did keep an eye on you though and offered assistance where I could. I may not be George, but my title has power enough to look after you when I could. I also have made enough contacts in my career that I could keep track of your life. Know that I am deeply proud of the man that you have become. I have seen pictures of your son. He is a beautiful child and the perfect combination of your brother James and your mother. I can see bits of them both in him, and I am saddened that I will not be there to see the man he will become._

_Please, do not take my actions out on the family. My guess is that George is aware of more than I would like him to be, but he has always had far too much on his shoulder and too little time to fix all the problems laid at his feet. Also know that despite all of my many shortcomings and the things I mishandled in this mess, I did my best for James that I could have. I stepped in and offered money when it was needed when he was a child, and once he entered the Royal Navy, I offered my assistance and protection as I could. I did my best to ensure that his path crossed Alec and Edwards so that when I finally found the courage to do the right thing by you that your brother would not be too far away._

_I have nothing to offer you that would make up for the things that I have done, but I do hope that at the least you know I loved you. I also hope that you know Claire loved you. She called me once to arrange my safekeeping of her letter for you until I felt that the time was right. I wish for you to know that she was regretful of aligning herself with Anthony all those years back, but never once regretted having you in her life. She told me that she thought perhaps that you were the greatest love of her existence and she only wished that she could have been the kind of mother that you deserved. Please, if you can only find it in your heart to forgive one of us, make it her. Do not let all of this ugliness taint the love that I know you must have for her. I have never met anyone in my life who could draw people to love them the way Claire could. Let her have a place of fondness in your memories and your heart. Let go of the things she did wrong and remember the good things she gave you. If you have to have someone to hate, make it be me. I deserve all of the ill will that you have to dish out._

_I hope and pray that life treats you well from here on out, Tony. My solicitor will be contacting you at the six-month mark after you retrieved this letter if you have not contacted him again before that. I have left you some additional things that my sons are not aware of. One of them is the building which your Alec is living in. It was quite a surprise to find out that the two of you had stumbled upon each other, but I am glad you did. Alec deserves every bit of love and affection that he can find, and in my heart, I know you are enough like your mother to overlook the things others cannot stop from seeing in him._

_I wish you and your son nothing but love and happiness from this day forward, my nephew. Know that if there is any justness in the universe, I will be allowed to do in death what I should have done while I was living. I am not sure that you believe in such things, but that does not matter as I do. If I could ask for a favor? I know that I don’t deserve one, but I ask that you look over Ashcroft. He may be the only truly good thing I have done in my life. How, despite all my bitterness and anger, I managed to create a man who is so just and bright I do not know. He is everything that Crispin is not and needs someone to protect him from my first son who is little more than a blight on the world._

_To accomplish this, I have left you my title and all that comes with it in addition to what your mother should have gained but did not because of her marriage to Anthony. Crispin will not be happy once the announcement is made, but I care not. He has chosen his path, and I will not support it by giving him the power my title would lend him should I have made him my heir._

_Be happy, Tony. Be the father to your gorgeous son that neither Claire or I were strong enough to be to our children. Be honorable and just and do not be afraid to put Anthony in his place. He never deserved you and does not deserve further chances. Let the Paddingtons be family to both you and James as well as young Tristan._

_I love you, my nephew. Claire may not have given birth to you, but you were her son in every other way. I could never not love you for that reason alone._

_I appreciate the time you have given me, and I wish you nothing but the best from here forward._

_Your Uncle,_

_Clive Phillip Paddington_

 

Tony didn’t realize that he was crying until he looked up from the pages of his Uncle’s letter at the sound of James’ voice. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” Tony said huskily with emotion clogging his throat. “I don’t think I want to be angry at any of them anymore. Well, except Senior. I have plenty of hatred for him left in me. The rest of them just... They were good people who made bad choices and were too weak to correct them.”

“Then don’t be,” James offered quietly as he leaned against one of the stone walls nearby where Tony was sitting. “You and I have seen enough of true evilness and witnessed enough death to know the difference between what should be held onto and what should just be let go. We found each other in the end and the Paddingtons will love you no matter who your real parents are. I see no reason to scorn anyone but Anthony DiNozzo. I agree that he deserves all the scorn you wish, as well as the attention of MI6.”

Tony’s lips quirked as he studied his brother. “I have no wish to save Anthony from you or Ashcroft if you’re waiting for me to object. Do your worst. Just leave me out of it. I never want to see the man again. I have you, and I will have the Paddingtons. I have moved on from Anthony and the abuse he dished out to me. So, do your worst, brother.”

James inclined his head with a smile that told Tony nothing good would come to Anthony from this point forward. With a deep breath, Tony stood and shoved the letter in his back pocket. Alec would want to read it later, and then it would be stored at Skyfall with the other letters until Tony was ready to get rid of them. Stepping toward James, Tony stopped a few feet from his older brother and held out his hand.

“Thank you for bringing me home, James.”

The blond offered a smile as his eyes shined suspiciously suddenly and after taking Tony’s outstretched hand pulled him close. “Thank you for coming home, little brother.”

With that, Tony let loose a deep shuddering sigh and released all the pain and anger he’d been carrying for Claire and Clive. It no longer mattered what they’d done or why. He’d found his way home to his brother, and no one could take that from him, again.

 

The End!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I write fanfiction for fun. It's a hobby and a stress relief. I refuse to stress over my writing. What you see is what you get. Errors, plot holes, and all. Thank you for reading my story!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> Sign ups for Every Fandom Reverse Big Bang are still open! Your fandom and your favorite pairing fits our bangs. If you have some questions or want to sign up go [here](https://everyfandombangs.wordpress.com/).

**Author's Note:**

> I write fanfiction for fun. It's a hobby and a stress relief. I refuse to stress over my writing. What you see is what you get. Errors, plot holes, and all. Thank you for reading my story!


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